The Day Remnant Stood Still
by Smurphy1999
Summary: Discontinued. The rewrite is up.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"You'd think smashing atoms would be a lot more interesting than this. Am I right or what?" A young man, no older than 30, asks his partner at a massive computer with dozens of lights and meters. The man is leaning back in a swivel chair with his feet resting on the control panel. Clothes and hair disheveled and a growing beard forming around the man's face. An ID tag was hung haphazardly on his belt and would fall off at any minute. The lax employee also had his phone out, playing one of the countless mobile games for the growing number of smartphones. His compatriot glares at him and knocks his feet off. The lazy individual's co-worker was what every boss would expect from their workforce. Hair combed professionally, freshly cleaned clothes, and groomed facial hair. However, this man had a face that completely shaved. ID tags were hung properly on his left breast, and his phone was in a holster along his leather belt.

"Dammit man pay attention. I'm not gonna get fired because of you" he angrily states. The second coworker turns back towards the control panel, hunched over and vigorously studying a meter. The arrow was erratically moving around the meter, with a faint red light flashing above it. Normally this wouldn't concern him, as any meter that would normally have this happen would be either the doorbell to the control room, or a notification of a message sent to them. This however was not one of those lights. No this one was much more serious, and recquired his immediate attention. "Focus and maybe it will be interesting. Now get the doc up here. I think we might have a problem" the model employee states. A faint bead of sweat was forming on his forehead and he started to tap his foot.

"Why's that Nick? What could possibly be so important?" said the slacker with a lazy grin on his face. He continues to play on his phone, determined to beat the level he was on. If one were to look at it, all they would see was a dot moving around different shapes and avoiding spikes. He was completely oblivious to the control panel in front of him. Ironically, the issue was spelled out on one of the many screens in front of him.

"The sensors are saying a section of the tunnel is unstable. I wanna tell the doc so then he can alert the ass holes that were supposed to check the damn thing this morning for hiccups, and get them to do their job for once. That's why Alex" Nick said. "This could do anything from create a black hole to just a supersonic atom that will tear you in half."

Alex sat up straight and looked directly at Nick. His phone long forgotten."So basically we're fucked either way?" Nick nods with Alex muttering some obscenity under his breathe. "The first test for us in several years and we're about to screw it up" Alex exclaims angrily. He launches out of his chair and frantically dials the number for the head researcher in charge of the test.

Nick resumed to monitor the control panel, but not failing to notice his co-workers nametag fall off his belt. 'We might fuck this up because of you. Lazy bastard, how he got this job is beyond me' Nick thought. He shook his head at his co-worker's antics and started typing a message to the head of engineering. This was gonna cause a lot of problems, and the engineers are not gonna be happy about fixing this thing. Just imagining all the precautions and logistics made Nick shudder. But that wasn't his job so he wouldn't have to experience that hell. He decides to listen in on his co-worker's conversation to help alleviate the stress that was building inside him.

"Hello? This is Doctor Ha-"

Alex cuts the doctor off and frantically says "Doc stop the experiment the tunnel sensors are reading a major structural problem. Stop the damn experiment!" Nick could see Alex glance at him out of the corner of his eye. He looked like he just saw a ghost. Though he might become one soon if this issue doesn't get fixed soon. Nick sends his message he was typing to engineering and hoped they would get it in time to stop the experiment, or put in place whatever safety protocols they needed to.

"Are you sure young man? The engineers said that everything was fine when they checked this morning…" The doctor says. He trails off just and someone on his end was frantically yelling at him about something Alex couldn't decipher.

"Doc I'm telling you turn the damn thing off and hold the experiment! The tunnel isn't sta-"

"Dammit Alex hold on" the doctor says. As Alex waited for the doctor to return, he hears sirens go off. 'Dammit, the test is starting' Alex thought.

"Alex tell the doc to halt the experiment!" Nick screams at Alex from his seat at the control panel. Just like a plague, red dots and warnings multiply on the control panel's surface. Every time a light would turn on, Alex and Nick would flinch and the new alarm. Each more intense than the last.

"I'm trying but the Doc won't listen! Something else is holding his attention!" exclaimed Alex. "He won't fucking listen! I don't know what could be more…"

Nick jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in the process. Using his elbow, he shoves his co-worker out of the way and violently grabs the phone from his co-worker. "Doc turn the experiment! The fucking tunnel isn't stable! Turn the damn thing off!" Nick screams into the phone. Alex rushes to the panel to take his partners place. Desperately trying to stop the experiment from his post. Just as he was sitting down, every alarm blared its signature screech and the lights on the control panel all lit up. 'The old bastard didn't listen' Alex thought to himself. Him and his partner slowly turn to look at each other. Shock was quickly replaced with fear and dread as both men pondered about what would happen next. Regretfully, they didn't have to wait long.

Their vision was suddenly filled with a blinding light and every sound was muted. The millions across the US also felt the same sensation. Every man, woman, and child halted in their daily tasks as they were assaulted by the light. The staff on board the International Space Station would have told you that the entire mainland US was swallowed in a blinding light for no more than half a second, and then the light receded. Many of the astronauts believed it to be a nuclear strike, but they were proven wrong as they saw a massive crater where the US should have been. The Pacific and Atlantic poured into the crater, creating massive tidal waves and drowning many towns that were near the American border. In another dimension, another garden world was experiencing a similar phenomenon. The only difference was that a whole nation was not uprooted from their world, but a new one was put into theirs.

 **AN: There we go first real chapter out. I know this is pretty short, but I wanted to get this out. The next few may take some time and I guarantee that they will be longer. A lot longer. As always, Constructive criticism is welcome so don't be afraid to critique the story. I will be accepting certain OCs for the following roles: US and remnant soldiers, Remnant council members, Director of FBI, and several news reporters. PM your character ideas, but they must have the following: a name, age, sex, personality traits, and what role you want them to have. Be warned, I already have most government positions of the US filled, but if I like your idea better then I'll decide to add it instead.**

 **That's all for now. Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Monday mornings in the Pentagon are usually calm and uneventful. The most exciting thing that happens would have to be the weekly meetings the heads of the Joint Chiefs. Although there is one person that broke the monotonous routine of the day. As dozens of staff worked on reports organizing paperwork for their superiors, their work is interrupted by a long and loud string of curses. To the few unlucky soldiers wandering the halls, they encounter the source of immense anger. A man in an officer's uniform stormed the hallways. A large amount of ribbons cover his left breast, along with five stars on each shoulder. His uniform was ironed to perfection and his boots polished to a shine. One could even see his own reflection in the man's shoes. His footsteps echo throughout the halls like an army marching down red square. The man was caucasian with dirty blond hair shaved into a buzzcut. He has dull green eyes that were filled with frustration. The man's name was Charles Young, the head general of the marine corp. He was one of the youngest to ever achieve such a rank, being 28 at the time. He is also notorious for his quick temper and anyone caught in his wrath was usually reduced to a nervous wreck. This is the exact reason why any person in the hall hugged the wall and stood at rigid attention as he passed by. Charles paid them no mind, his only goal was to reach the conference room and unleash hell's fury on whoever called this meeting on his day off.

After several minutes of walking his target was in his sights. A set of oak doors marked the conference room. Two guards stood at the door, sidearms holstered and at ease. As soon and they saw the General, they immediately shot to attention. Both young men were silently praying that their superior wouldn't snap at them. Thankfully, he barged through the doors without even acknowledging the two guards. They let out a ragged sigh and relaxed, but immediately jumped at the commotion coming from the room. They immediately closed the door out of reflex, and protocol. One even prayed for the others in that room. But Charles won't let any god stop his fury.

"Who called this meeting?" Charles growled as the surveyed the room. His eyes erratic and surveying every person in the room. Three figures were sitting at a oval table, each one sitting in leather chairs stained black from its treatment. In the center of the table a massive black screen lays inactive. A keyboard sitting in front of each figure. The individual right across from Charles wore an olive drab dress uniform. Five stars were placed neatly on his shoulder. His left breast had the least amount of ribbons on the uniform, but the two star medals on the opposite breast showed that he was an accomplished warrior, despite the young appearance he had. The man had dark blue eyes and combed over blond hair. He was leaning against the table, elbows lying on top with his chin beirn supported by his interlocked hands. On the right side of the table, a woman sat in a laid back demeanor. She was slouched in the chair with her head resting on the top of the chair. The woman appeared to be in her low forties, maybe even high thirties. She had a dark blue uniform with a pentagon of stars on her collar. Her freshly ironed uniform was devoid of any ribbons but had a handful of medals. A large brown briefcase was situated right in front of her. Papers spilling out in an unorganized heap. The man on the left was of asian descent, and wore a pure white uniform with five stars on his shoulders. An absurd amount of ribbons covered his left breast and a dozen medals covered his right. His uniform was out place compared to the dark interior of the room. The man had to be at least fifty if his grayong hair was any hint. He sat upright and glared at Charles. Scoffing at his loss of temper inability to remain professional.

The man directly in front of Charles let out a tired sigh and stared directly at him. He leaned closer into the table and said "I did General. Now please take a seat so we can begin. And please try to calm down for at least five minutes." The amount of authority in said voice caused the irate man to pause and sit down with a long, calming breathe. "Now that the bulldog has arrived, we can now begin. Oda, I believe you wanted to start yes?" The man said looking to his right.

"That is correct General." Oda stated. "The navy's refit and rearmament has been going smoothly and we have three more railgun cruisers online. We have also upgraded all ten of our carriers and the software upgrades on our ships is seventy percent done. The construction of the USS Barack Obama is also underway and should be completed in a few days."

"I hope the funding was worth it Admiral. I haven't been able to fund any more A-20s or even replace our aging fighters with the F-35s and F-45s." said the woman with a hostile undertone. Charles and the general glared at the fourth member, but remained silent.

"I assure you Rachel, that the funding was worth it and you'll get your precious fighters by the end of the month" replied Oda, a frown forming on his face. "Now since you are so eager to speak, then maybe you can state your report. Is that fine Cole?"

The now identified Cole nods. All three men look towards Rachel, eager to hear her report, and perhaps curious on how she will respond to her colleague. She smirks and sits more straight. She stares Oda dead in the eye, challenging him to interrupt her while she talks. "Well… the new A-20s are performing admirably and they should easily replace the old A-10 warthog with little hiccups." Her smirk increases as she sees Oda roll his eyes. "We also have the new B-36 bomber ready to hit the testing phase along with the upgraded AC-130. My subordinates also assure me that the new harriers and ninth generation fighters will enter the testing phase in a couple of weeks."

"Thank you Rachel, and you will get your promised increase in funding by the end of the month. The navy is done with their projects so the Air Force will be able to boost their own." Cole then looks directly at Charles and grins. "So Charlie, how are you enjoying the army's toys? I hope they aren't too advanced for your men."

Charles chuckles and grins at Cole "Well they had a little trouble, but your handmedowns aren't too complicated. Though I wasn't expecting the new Abrams and Cobras to come so quickly. I thought I had to deal with the older models still. Guess you enjoy breaking the marine tradition huh?" It was command for the US army to get the new gear first, and then the marines would have to deal with the old equipment the army deemed as obsolete. Cole and Charles broke that tradition as soon as they reached the head of their respective branches and tried to make each branch even more deadly. From trading strategies, sharing equipment, and exchanging training strategies, the fighting effectiveness of both the Army and Marine Corp has grown exponentially. The Joint Chiefs have made an incredible effort to increase the ability for the branches to cooperate, and become even more deadly than before.

Cole collapses his hands and leans back in his chair. He looks at each officer before starting his own report. "Well the Army has finished updating the combat uniform or the soldiers, as well as using the new MA rifle. My subordinates have also reported that the testing of the new Rommel tanks are proceeding ahead of schedule, and the first round of testing should be finished in a couple of months. I have also booked a meeting with the President, so our new monthly limit will be given to me. We can meet again either tonight or tomorrow to split it up amongst us." Cole then reaches for the stack of papers and slides a quarter of the stack to each of his colleagues. "This is the latest report on the situation in Africa. I want you all to go over it and hopefully adjust your requests to fit what will be needed. That is all for now. The meeting is adjourned." A suite case is retrieved from under the table and put next to Cole's remaining papers. Cole then stands up and salutes the men and woman in the room. They immediately stand up and return the salute. Rachel stuffs her papers into her bag and immediately follows Oda out the door, who has his papers cradled in his right arm. Charles stands up and turns to leave but stops halfway. Cole sees his colleagues actions out of the corner of his eye, but he continues to organize his papers. An eerie silence hangs in the air, only accompanied by the shuffling of papers and the securing of clips on the briefcase. Charles finally decides to break the silence and speaks to the Army General.

"What makes you so sure that we will need to march into Africa? I doubt the public will want another war, much less a peacekeeping operation." This causes Cole to pause and look up at his colleague. He holds this gave for a few seconds, but then looks back down at his papers and releases a heavy sigh.

"The politicians and the public are high on victory Charles, I'm sure you know what happens when people are intoxicated with it." Cole finishes up and grabs the briefcase off the table takes the trek around the table towards the door. Once he reaches it, Charles decides to respond.

"You referring to what the senior class did during our first year at VMI?" he said with a smirk. "I'm sure that we can reason with the public. Just throw around some fancy words and they'll listen"

Cole chuckles and looks towards the black screen "That may be true, but our country's sense of duty will block out anything. Sometimes I think reviving the old ideals of this nation was a bad idea. Hopefully we can walk away from Africa with just a bloody nose." Cole begins to walk out until Charles grabs his shoulder and gives his trademark cocky smirk.

"Don't worry, we'll win, and maybe we can get some land in that continent." Charles reassures him. "But no matter what happens, I got your back, so does every other officer in the Army and Marine Corp. Of course I'll expect you to do the same."

"I hope you're right old friend… I hope your right." Cole says with a sad smile. Charles lets his hand fall to his side as his old classmate walks down the hall. Every man in the military was dreading the inevitable conflict in Africa. No matter what the brass of all branches would say, the politicians in Congress would not listen. They were determined to further the country's prestige. When they finally put boots on the ground, they will the fiftieth nation involved in Africa. 'Hopefully Cole can convince those paper pushers to calm down… god I need some coffee' Charles thought. With that, he turns right towards the nearest vending machine. Hopefully there is some kind of caffeinated drink available.

 **XXX**

It was a typical Monday morning in Washington DC, even more so for Cole. So far his daily routine hasn't deviated in the slightest, which was a rather pleasant surprise to say the least. His job usually made his life very hectic and he was never surprised when a new issue would throw his day into chaos. Some might say that might be why he has a flask of bourbon with him at all times, but those close to him would say otherwise. Cole's friends would most likely say that the alcohol keeps him docile, especially when dealing with politicians. Most military personnel have no love for the politicians of their country, but who else would keep the masses in check? To Cole, they were a necessary evil. One that society needs in order for it to run with a sense of order. And his destination would lead him right to the said necessary evils.

Cole's aid was driving him towards the White House so he can finalize the funding him and the other joint Chiefs had to share. He never understood why the joint Chiefs couldn't request their own budget. To him it just seemed counter productive. How would a bunch of paper pushers know what is best for the military when the extent of their knowledge comes from the media.

Cole rubbed his temple from the growing headache. The media had a tendency to twist the words of whatever people said, but it has been getting better in the past ten years. Several news stations are now going towards a neutral stance when reporting their information, but the opinions of the networks was still apparent to those with a trained eye. Thankfully, he only had to deal with a handful of politicians at best, and these were some of the few that the general actually tolerated.

As his car approached the gate, Cole got the three required IDs he had to show in order to gain entrance. He understood the reason behind the security, he was entering the home of the leader of the world's biggest superpower, but still it annoyed him to no end. Thankfully, he's been here enough times that the guards at the gate gave him an easier time. Charles was the the one who posted these marines here, so he knew he wouldn't have too much trouble with them. After only a few seconds the Marines allowed him to pass with a respectful salute, one that he returned whole heartily. As he got out of the car he told his aid that he will be a while. The driver simply acknowledges, putting the car in park and fishing for a newspaper he had in the front seat. Cole made some last minute checks to his uniform making sure it was in working order. Satisfied, he enter the building expecting nothing more than pleasantries and routine questions. He almost hoped his day would throw a curve ball at him. Little did he know, his day was about to throw him several.

 **AN: Here you guys go. Hope you all enjoyed the newest installment. Now I promise that we will be seeing remnant soon. I just want to introduce a few characters first. Now I have received a few messages concerning the power of America in this story. I will say this, America will not curb stomp the kingdoms, nor be curb stomped. To me, the kingdoms and the US are relatively equal in terms of military power. Remnant may have aura and some better tech, but the US has more experience, most of their weapons are designed to fight other people, and they have a larger variety of vehicles. Now despite Atlas having their airships, gunships, and mechs, the US has plenty of ways to counter them. Honestly, this will be discussed in the later chapters.**

 **Also, thank you for everyone who has submitted their OCs.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and the story. RWBY is property of Rooster Teeth.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When you're a kid, you only want to be have one of four jobs. One of those is to be the president. Who wouldn't want to be in charge of a nation with more than three hundred and sixty million people. You would arguably be one of the most powerful people in the world. As one grows up, they realize the gravity of the job, and realize that it is more than just ordering people around. An ungodly amount of stress is put on their shoulders and many wouldn't be able to cope with that. Thankfully, James Woods is not like most people. When he was in highschool, he demonstrated a natural talent in politics. He worked his way into the student government of his school and was able to get every member to agree on a course of action. He was known for his silver tongue and ability to negotiate through anything. He knew he had a bright future ahead of him. He became one of the few third party candidates to ever be elected into office. The public loved him. And unlike other politicians he followed through with his promises. Within two years, dozens of desperately needed reforms were passed and the cracking down on corruption surpassed the levels seen during the end of the industrial revolution. For James, that was the easy part of his job. The worst part was the paperwork. Ever since the thursday of last week, he has been doing nothing more than going over bills passed by congress, and countless other issues that required his attention. With an exhausted sigh he finishes signing the last document and puts it on an absurdly giant pile of papers. Finally done with his personal hell, he slumps in his chair and closes his eyes. It seemed like he might finally be able to catch up on some much needed sleep, that is until someone drops even more papers on his desk. James groans and opens his eyes to see who dared to take away his most sacred luxury.

A woman stood in front of him, casting a look of amusement on the poor man. She had shoulder length brown hair and green eyes that seemed to be filled with energy. She wore a simple blue business dress. A devious smirk formed on her face as she saw the suffering man in front of her. "Come on James, still got plenty of work to do. Being president isn't all fun and games."

James just groans and rubs his temples. He then glares at the woman in front of him. "Yes I know that Emily, I'm not some naive schoolboy. Now can you remind me why I decided to reform congress in a way that makes them more efficient? They're making so many amendments and bills, I'm pretty sure they've gotten more work done in two years than this country has in two hundred." He leans for ward and rests his arms on his desk with an aggravated sigh. "Sometimes I feel like they're trying to kill me."

Emily laughs at her president's antics and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Well if they were trying to kill you, then they would have to kill me to. I am the vice president after all. Plus I'm even more cut throat at their games than you are. Plus at least you'll listen to congress. I'll probably get so annoyed I would throw them out of the government."

James shakes his head and looks dead in her eyes. His relaxed and defeated posture long gone. An annoyed scowl forming on his face he begins to reprimand his second in command. "Without congress we would be nothing more than an elected dictatorship. Our government is set up in a way so that one branch won't turn into the exact thing we rebelled against so long ago. I may find congress an annoyance, but I will never disband them. Despite what you think, they are essential to our government and give our citizens more of a voice in their government's affairs."

Emily retracts her hand and steps back from her boss while smirking even more than ever. She was about to make a remark until she heard the door to the oval office open. All eyes turned towards the newcomer who walked with a set of confidence few could match. The man had a green dress uniform with his hat being held underneath his left arm. He snapped to attention and gave a salute. "Sorry to interrupt mister president."

James rolls his eyes and glares at the man "Dammit Cole the last thing you need to be is formal around me. Now I'm guessing that you're here for your budget correct?" James points towards a small folder in the top right of his desk. "I'll have you know that it was a nightmare trying to have congress agree to the increase. Tell Rachel that she better feel lucky about it."

Cole chuckles as he approaches the president's desk "I'll be sure to pass it on." As he looks over the desk his eyes widen at the sight of the mountain that has formed on the left side. "Good god. You've been busy haven't you James."

"Don't remind me. This has to be the worst part of my job. I'm not complaining about the progress, but jesus why do I have to sign the exact same thing so many times. Shouldn't one time be enough?" James says.

"Well they have to make sure that it really is you signing I guess. And don't you have an army to supervise General? Surely striking a conversation with the president isn't that much fun." Emily says with a hint of annoyance.

"Actually I don't. We are going through a refit so there isn't much to do except authorizing requisition forms. And besides..." Cole says as he grabs the folder off the desk. "I wouldn't be able strike up a conversation with him anyway. He's probably brain dead from all the paperwork." Both Cole and Emily laugh at their president's expense, causing the man to scowl.

"Really Cole? Gonna be like that huh. Well I guess I'll just cut the funding in ha-" James said until a bright white light blinded everyone in the room. It lasted for only a second, but it took the three individuals several seconds to recover their eyesight. "Dammit what the hell was that?"

"I don't know sir. I'll find out" Cole says as he takes out his cellphone. He frowns as a no service notification appeared on the screen. Scratch that comms are down."

"What about the landline?"

"It's working and I've the pentagon for you general" Emily shouts from the middle of the room. Cole runs over to her, dropping his hat and the folder, and grabs the phone out of her hand.

"This is General Cole. I need a secure line to communications"

The operator replies in a frantic pace "Sorry general all the sat comms are down and we lost contact with our bases overseas. We are also getting a reports that… well we are now surrounded by ocean sir."

Cole growls and slams his fist on the desk "This better not be some kind of sick joke or so help me I'll-"

"N-no s-s-sir it isn't." The operator stutters. "We are also getting reports from several installations reporting the same thing. What should we do?"

"Put us on DEFCON 2. Mobilize our units and call upon the reserves and national guard. I want you to relay this to the other joint chiefs. We need to re secure our borders and try to figure out what has happened. I also need you to contact our engineers and see why our comms are down and find a solution to it. We are operating on a lot of unknowns right now and I want all the intel we can get."

"Yes sir!" The operator says. The call was then disconnected and Cole turns toward the president with a grim expression on his face.

"Mister president, we have a problem."

 **XXX**

It was later found out that the mainland of the US was placed right in the middle of an ocean. Due to the flash, a large amount of casualties were caused by car crashes, and planes ended up getting lost and having to initiate emergency landings to the loss of their GPS. Several oil pipelines were cut and the wells were forced to shut down. All satellite based services were cut and this caused a mass panic. For weeks, protests and religious unrest plagued the country. With the call to DEFCON 2, the military was put in civil protection duties in order to subdue the unrest. The navy also had to recommission several vessels in order to help patrol their new borders. All power stations, oil wells, and nuclear reactors were placed under military jurisdiction. The Air Force mobilized every aircraft they could in order to have a constant presence in the air. The marines were put in countryside patrols, helping the engineers fix the communication problem, and to help small town in any way they can. After communications were restored, the president addressed the country as a whole. He assured the public that everything was under control and that the military will stand down once order had been restored. He also gave the public information about their new geological position, and that no danger was present to them at this time. He also reported that this incident seemed to be the result of an experiment at the recommissioned fermilab. He also stated that the facility has been shut down, and an investigation has been ordered in order to find an explanation for the events that have transpired. This information shocked the public, but they calmed down due to the president's reassurance.

General Cole requested that General Rachel to send several scout planes to figure out their location and hopefully contact some friendly forces. She obliges and coordinated with Admiral Oda to setup carriers in areas for them to refuel. What the planes found was shocking. No landmass was recognized and it seemed as if they were placed into a whole new world. What shocked them even more was the reports of large urban centers, one per continent, and that strange black creatures, tried to attack one of the planes. Some of the planes even managed to capture pictures of small towns being attacked by these creatures. After this, the joint chiefs stopped all recon flights and decided to think of a new approach.

A plan was put forth to send a survey force to scout the area and possibly make contact with the locals. However, the plan was put on hold when a destroyer group reported a contact off the northern border of the mainland. What happened would shake both the US and the denizens of this world forever.

 **XXX**

Captain Lee was not having a good day. First he found out that his battlegroup, which consisted of two Burke class destroyers, were to remain out at see for an extended patrol. Now this would've made him pissed, but right after his call the radar station reported an unknown contact moving towards his battle group. Now this really put him on edge. Thankfully, he kept his cool and followed protocol that was put forth for situations like this. He sounded general quarters, sending every crew member to their battle stations, and contacted command about his situation. He was given permission to divert the aircraft, but was also given the option to detain them and gain intel from the unknowns. The last one he found ridiculous, as the contact was half the size of his destroyer, and the fact that detaining anyone could start an international incident. So he decide to go with his gut.

'Lieutenant, I want a visual on the unknown now. Also, contact CIC and have them prepare all weapon systems. Have the Indiana do the same." Lee ordered his Lieutenant. The man quickly saluted and went to his console to relay the orders. He then turned to the helmsman and stated "Helm take us at half throttle. Tell the Indiana to remain in formation until instructed." The helmsman acknowledged and the comms officer started relaying instructions to their sistership.

"Sir contact is on screen now. Seems to be an airship of some sort." The first lieutenant reported. What Lee saw on his screen baffled him. The airship was a mixture of grey and black and the design seemed like something out of a science fiction novel. It had a streamlined frame that looked similar to a frigate, but it had what looked like tails sticking out the end. It also had two large cannons on either side of its body. The other armament must have been hidden, as he could not detect anymore.

"Comms, open a channel and broadcast it on all frequencies. CIC, I want weapons on them at all times, but do not fire unless fired up. Standard ROE. Relay these orders to the Indiana and tell them to remain radio silent." Lee ordered and was satisfied with a chorus of 'yes sirs' that echoed throughout the bridge. He got a signal from the comms officer stating that he was ready to relay his message. Lee cleared his throat and spoke in his most authoritative voice he could muster. "Attention unknown aircraft, you are entering the sovereign territory of the United States of America. Deviate your course immediately." Silence is what followed. Lee scowled and was gonna relay another message until a response was heard.

"Unknown ship, you are threatening an Atlas military vessel identify yourself immediately."

Confusion swarmed the face of Lee and the rest of the bridge. Many questions flooded their minds, but Lee regained his posture and responded to this 'Atlas military'. "This is the USS Halsey of the United States Navy. I will say again, divert your course immediately. You are entering sovereign territory of The United States. Divert your course of it will be seen as an act of aggression." Lee took a deep breath and calmed himself. He waited for a response, but none came. He was about to send another message until he received a report from the CIC. The ship's power levels were increasing, and the heat was rising from the two cannons on the sides. Lee went into full alert as he ordered evasive action. He was just in time as what appeared to be a laser strike the water in between two ships. "So this is the hand they're playing" Lee says to himself. He then turns back to his bridge crew and gave one order that would change history "Open fire."

The ship shuddered as all weapons were fired on the Atlesian ship. The deck guns fired at a rapid pace, only pausing for a second as the gun crews had to reload the cannon. Surface to air missiles were fired from both ships and streamed towards their target. Three of the missiles were shot down, but one made its mark. It hit one of the canons rendering it out of action. The enemy ship retaliated with another laser beam, but it caused devastating results. The USS Indiana was hit dead center and was enveloped in a massive fireball. The shockwave shook the Halsey and sent some of its crew to the ground. Lee and his crew looked in horror as their sister ship went down in flames. The captain clenched his fists and looked back at the Atlas ship in rage. He then turned to his crew and gave his orders. "Tell CIC to launch two tomahawks at that son of a bitch and I want search parties sent to the Indiana for survivor search and rescue." This snapped the bridge out of its shock and they relayed his order with discipline and precision.

Soon, the ship shuddered once again as the two most powerful missiles on that destroyer was launched towards the enemy vessel. Those were then followed by a chorus of deck guns and several more tomahawk missiles. The Atlas airship tried to evade the best they could, but the volume of fire was too much. The deck guns tore into the rear of the ship, knocking off several of the 'tails' and hitting one of the engines. A majority of the tomahawk missiles were shot down, but two managed to get through the anti missile systems and hit their target. The ship to break apart as the missiles exploded on impact. The remains of the airship were sent towards the sea. Captain Lee let out a sigh of relief and issued the last orders of the engagement.

"Send the seahawk over to that wreck and pick up the survivors. I want the shipboard marines prepare the brig and i want the men at arms to be ready to escort them to the brig. Have a squad go on the helicopter as well" After hearing a confirmation that his orders were being relayed, he rubbed his temples and let out a ragged breath. He then turns to his comm officer and says "Get me a line to HQ. i need to tell them what has happened. And I'm going to guess that they aren't gonna be happy." His comm officer replied with a 'yes sir and went to his station to carry out his orders. Lee stood up from his chair looked at the remains of the Indiana. He could see several lifeboats and dinghies scouring the waters picking up whoever they could find. Lee knew that the majority would've gone down with the ship, but he still hoped some had survived. He let out an exhausted sigh as his comms officer stated that HQ was on the horn waiting for him. Lee turned around went to the comms console and readied himself. A war was just initiated with an unknown foreign power, and he would have to relay what he could to his superiors. This was gonna be one hell of a debriefing.

 **XXX**

All across the US, every radio and television was interrupted with the emergency broadcast signal. What followed was the president, and those standing by the television could see their beloved leader shaking in anger as he walked towards the podium. All focus was turned to him as he began his speech.

"My fellow American, I have some terrible news for you. Two hours ago, two of our destroyers were attacked by an unknown contact approaching our nation. The two ships were the Indiana and the Halsey. They contacted the unknown and were then fired upon after they ordered the contact to turn away from our territory. Our brave men and women fought bravely, but sadly we lost all hand on the Indiana. The halsy did manage to take down the contact, and managed to capture the barbarians who fired on us." President James Lee then took a shaky breath to calm himself before he continued his speech. "The prisoner claimed to be apart of the 'Kingdom of Atlas' and claimed to be the protectors of this world. My fellow Americans, i promise you that this so called 'Kingdom' will not push us around and we will retaliate. I also promise that this will not turn into another Middle East conflict. We have learned our mistakes and we will win this conflict."

With his speech finished, every American froze in shock. For many, anger swelled inside them. They wanted blood on these aggressors and revenge for the soldiers who died. For others, fear consumed them. Many did not want another war as they just got out of a prolonged conflict. One thing was known amongst every citizen, America was now on the warpath and they wouldn't stop until they got the revenge they wanted.

 **AN: Here you guys are. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Remember, all criticism is welcome so don't be afraid to voice your opinion. I also hope I didn't make the US too powerful in their first engagement. Now I also promise that this story will not be constant war. This will turn out to be very similar to the First Contact war in the mass effect universe. It'll be pretty short lived, and won't really have too much damage done to either side.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the OCs and the story. RWBY is property of Rooster teeth.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Three days later**

The open ocean is a vast and beautiful place. One could get lost just by looking at the great expanse of the ocean. If one would look carefully, they could see a myriad of sea life going through the cycles of life. In the modern world, the animals have gotten used to the occasional ship moving through their waters but they were not encountering a lone freighter. If the animals had the mental capacity, they would've been able to see dozens of warships cutting through the ocean. Of course, they are only animals so they just got confused by the noise and run off to find somewhere to hide.

These warships belonged to the US Navy, and leading them was no other than Admiral Oda. Standing at the bridge of the USS Enterprise, it was one of the four carriers assigned to the strike force. The other three were the USS George Bush, the USS Miami, and the USS Rockefeller. These four carriers are gen three nuclear powered carriers. They have a maximum speed of forty knots and could hold around three hundred aircraft each. These carriers also sported a vast array of anti-air and anti-ship weapon systems. Accompanying these carriers was a massive escort fleet. Roughly a dozen missile cruisers, and two dozen destroyers of various classes encircled the carriers in a defensive circle. Among these warships, there are half a dozen troop carriers and supply ships. These transports carried a regiment of marines, and several mechanized battalions that included bradleys, strykers, and several self propelled artillery pieces. This battlegroup alone was fully capable of toppling an entire nation's military, but this group wasn't going after a whole nation.

After the USS Halsey recovered the prisoners of the Atlesian airship(know classified as a frigate) the CIA rounded up the prisoners and proceeded to interrogate them for information. A SEAL team also managed to recover the data systems from the wreck, further fueling military intelligence. What the CIA managed to piece together shocked every American to their very core.

They were no longer on Earth, but some planet called Remnant. On this planet, there are two races that are intelligent, the humans and the faunus. These species were constantly hunted by the planet's top predator, the grimm. These creatures were described as soulless demons that preyed on humans and faunus alike. Much of the information is still under lockdown, but nothing can hold secrets from the infamous CIA. The prisoners also provided plenty of information on the governments of this planet. There were four official kingdoms-Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas- that were run by a council that ran similar to an oligarchy. These kingdoms had armies, but Atlas had the only military capable of projecting power anywhere in the world. It was also found out that Atlas was this world's version of the US, and political analysts were having a field day projecting different outcomes and scenarios that could unfold. The aforementioned kingdom was the one responsible for the attack, and the US was ready to strike back. Luckily, the Captain of the frigate survived and was "willing" to give up some very valuable information. Part of that information, was the coordinates for the nearby Atlas military base. It was the largest in the Kingdom of Vale, and thus this would send a crippling blow to the kingdom. The CIA and the president also had a plan to hijack the CCT in order to perform a sort of psychological attack on the civilian populace. A message would be broadcasted live throughout Remnant, and hopeful force Atlas to the negotiating table.

It sounded quite simple, but Oda knew better. He had to completely annihilate the enemy base and sieae it with his ground assets. The base was situated in a bay positioned right next to a mountain range. Oda planned to have his strike aircraft move to the back of the mountain before attacking the base. This would allow the aircraft to remain hidden from radar, and give them the element of surprise. The Admiral also planned on launching several missiles to knock out the fuel and ammunition stores. From what little they know about this world's power source, dust, it should cause a very violent reaction. Under the cover of the missiles and airstrikes, the marines would land on the beach two miles from the base, and seize control of the base and secure the base's commander. He also planned on using the fleets electronic warfare suites to disable the robotic support inside the base, and jam any and all communications leaving the base. It was a solid plan. The flight deck was covered in planes, all ships preparing to launch their missiles, and the ground troops geared up and ready to strike. All Oda had to do was wait for the signal to attack, and it came with the infamous saying "Tora Tora Tora".

 **XXX**

General James Ironwood considered himself and professional soldier and one of the few people who could adequately defend the world from all threats. He prided himself with his state of the art fleet, and his advanced androids. Ironwood also supported taking men off the battlefield, and saw a future where robotic armies defended mankind and wiped out the grimm. To him, it seemed like a noble goal, but several things have set him back.

The most recent was a report he got from one of his primary bases, Salvation Bay. The base sent out a frigate on a routine scouting mission, but lost contact with it after two days. It was expected for the ship to lose contact due to the limited range of the CCT towers, but losing communication for three days was completely suspicious. Due to this, he decided to head to the base and personally lead a scout mission to find the missing frigate. He took his personal flagship, but left the rest of his fleet in vale to provide security for the Vytal Festival. He expected a simple mission so he didn't take much support with him, but he was soon taught a valuable lesson in the art of war: prepare for the worst.

As he was standing at the bridge, he could see the base in the distance. At first it seemed like everything was fine, until he noticed the smoke trails coming from the ocean. The General was dumbfounded for a moment, but the dozens of explosions shook him out of his daze. Not a second later the ship was shaken by the shock wave from the explosions. By the size of the explosions, he guessed that the dust stores had been hit. He quickly turned to his crew and ordered the ship to battle stations. Gunships and drop ships were being prepped for launch, and the weapon systems were being brought online. As the ship was being brought up to peak combat effectiveness, Ironwood could see dozens of objects moving over the top of the mountains. At first he thought it was Grimm, but he was soon corrected by his radar operator. According to the warrant officer, these were not shaped like any airborne grimm known to man, and they were moving too fast to be anything organic. Ironwood then made a decision that would save himself and the crew of his ship, he ordered a tactical withdrawal from the area. From what he has seen, his single ship would have been slaughtered and it would not have been able to do much. If he could reorganize his forces, he will be able to launch a counterattack and retake the base. He only hoped that there would be a base for him to save when he returns.

 **XXX**

So far the attack was going better than expected. All tomahawk missiles hit their intended targets, and the airstrike completely crippled the defensive infrastructure of the base. It was now up to the marine landing force to secure the base and complete all objectives. There is one objective that only a select few were aware of. This objective was to seize a HVI in the base. It was suspected to be the base commander and his location was unknown. The captured captain did reveal a secure bunker that he would have gone too if there was an attack. This was the destination for SEAL team 3, and their objective is the capture of the HVI and any other information and possible HVIs.

"Twenty seconds to LZ alpha SEALs. The LZ is hot. I repeat the LZ is hot" the crew chief of the UH-60 Blackhawk stated. Inside the passenger compartment, four members of SEAL team three were preparing for their first combat mission against this new enemy force. The briefing stated that the enemy forces might have what are called 'huntsmen' and that they were priority targets while on the battlefield. The base has been reported to have one or two on staff, but so far the marines on the ground haven't encountered them. Some of the strike team joked that they turned tail and ran when they saw the US firepower, but one member wasn't so sure. Elite soldiers don't just turn tail and run, they either look for an opportune moment to strike, or they are executing a specific objective.

These were the thoughts of the leader of the SEAL team, Master Chief Petty Officer Frank "Rogue" Horrigan. Having been a SEAL for several years, he was tasked with leading the rookies on this mission. Why command decided to send some green SEALS on an extremely important mission was beyond him. Besides, he wasn't paid to think, he was paid to follow orders and keep his men alive. Frank looked to his left and saw his two CQC specialists. The one right next to him was the more promising rookie, Eric "Blackjack" Ramirez. This man was an ideal SEAL member. He had a talent in almost any form of combat and so he could change roles and it wouldn't affect the mission at all. Eric did prefer being the CQC specialist, but had no problems with picking up another role. The man right across from Blackjack was the second CQC specialist, Michael "Buck" Freeman. This man had an obscene obsession with his Mossberg shotgun, which creeped out the rest of the team. Hell the man even sleeps with it. One member thought it would be funny to take the man's shotgun, but ended up with a broken arm and dislocated shoulder. Now each member in SEAL team 3 now knows to not mess with the shotgun. Frank looks across from him and sees his demo expert, Armando "Hulk" Garcia. This soldier was able to make a bomb out of anything, and could take out any target. He was essential on any breaching missions, and the SEAL instructors found out just how instrumental he could be in a battle. Rogue was glad that he had these three men, but he would've felt a lot better if he had some more experienced soldiers with him. He then clears his throat and relays a quick re brief to his squad.

"Alright squad listen up. I want a clean dispersal. Once we hit the ground, we're gonna meet up with a marine squad and they will take us to the command center. Once we are there, we must locate the base's commander and apprehend him. All other personnel are considered expendable. If we engage a hunter, apprehend if possible but don't risk it."

"Yes sir" responded his team. They all switched off their safeties and prepared to disembark once the helicopter landed. With five seconds left they went through any last prayers or wishes of luck right before they were thrown into the shit storm that is combat. The helicopter then hit the ground and the side door was thrown open by the crew chief. The side mini guns were firing and they could barely hear the crew chief tell them to go. Thankfully, they didn't need to be told when to go. They jumped out and ran to the nearest wall for cover. The helicopter then took off, spewing hundreds of rounds at any poor fool that was out of cover.

The base itself was a literal hellscape. Fire was everywhere, and the southern half of the base was littered with destroyed atlesian frigates. The smoke was blocking out the sky, and what few anti air guns that were left were firing at anything they thought they could hit. They were mostly blind firing as the US aircraft were using laser guided missiles while hiding in the smoke.

Some guns did get lucky and every few minutes one would see a fighter get hit and go down. The marines were lighting up any suspected positions with concentrated rifle fire. The several IFVs and APCs were providing support fire whenever requested. Dozens of atlesian soldiers were lying on the ground along with even more deactivated androids. A dead marine could be seen, but they were few and far compared to the atlesian casualties. Approximately ten meters to their north was the command tower. Rogue could also see the squad of marines they were supposed to rendezvous with. They were right outside the tower taking potshots at the buildings windows. As they ran over, Rogue spotted the squad leader and slide right next to him.

"You Alpha one marine?" Rogue asked the sergeant. The rest of his squad took up positions along the marine's cover providing fire support when needed.

"Yes sir, Gunnery Sergeant Miller. Myself and my squad are gonna watch your squads ass as we take the HVI. Whenever you're ready we can breach the door sir."

Rogue nodded and motioned for both squads to stack up. Blackjack and Buck took positions on the door as hulk put a breaching charge on the door. Rogue was right behind Buck, and Hulk moved behind Blackjack when he finished with the charge. The marines split up evenly amongst both sides. The sergeant and his squad put in fresh magazines and gave the ready signal to Rogue. He then gave Hulk the order and the door was blown inwards. As the two squads stormed in, Rogue say the oddest thing in his life. The base commander was hiding behind a console while two soldiers stood over him. Then there was the woman that was standing right in the open with a sword of all things. She had pure white hair, blue eyes, and wore a ridiculous formal outfit that looked vaguely military. She also had pale skin and had some strange snowflake symbol on her collar. Rogue then motioned for his squad to hold and attempted to diffuse this as intelligently as possible. He turned towards the commander and said "By order of the president of the United States of America, you are hereby ordered to surrender. You will be treated as prisoners of war and given full rights under the geneva conventions. Do the smart thing and lay down your arms now!"

The woman scowled and stood in a stance with her sword in hand, and her left side facing the US soldiers. A strange glyph was forming under her and the three other enemy combatants were now hiding behind the console. Rogue saw this and gave the engage order. All soldiers fired on the woman who then sped forward and managed to dodge all the bullets thrown at her.

"Spread out dammit spread out!" The marine sergeant said as he and his marines moved off the wall and attempted to encircle the woman. Hulk and Black Jack moved around the engagement and secured the three Atlesian personnel while Rogue and Buck moved in on the woman. The pale woman saw this and moved on the SEALs who had little time to react. Rogue managed to jump out of the way by millimeters, while buck was sliced across the left leg. As he knelled in pain, the woman took out a dagger in the sword and stabbed him in the throat. Rogue saw this and screamed every obscenity he knew. Three marines attempted to move in on the woman to only be cut down by her sword. She had a victorious smirk and stood straight while while glaring at the three remaining SEALs.

"I believe it should be you who should surrender you vagabonds. Attacking an Atlas base with a specialist stationed there. What did yo-" she was saying until the marine marksman shot her in the head. She shimmered a bit and was thrown forwards and slammed face first into the floor. Rogue and two marines instantly moved to restrain her while the sergeant was calling for a medivac and evac for the remaining members of the breaching team. Rogue looked down at Hulk while the marines put cuffs on her. He sighed and helped pull the superhuman from the floor. He then left her with the marines while he moved towards Hulk and took his tags.

"This could've gone better" Rogue said to himself and then turned towards the other two surviving SEALs "This definitely could've gone better" he then said to his team. His grasp on his teammates dog tags tightened as he tried to calm himself. Hopefully Hulk didn't die in vain and that this battle would bring them closer to victory.

 **AN: Here you go guys the next chapter. Honestly I'm not sure how I feel about this one so if you guys don't like something let me know. now before I get flames about America destroying Atlas, remember that this was a surprise attack so they couldn't have prepared for it. Plus they don't exactly have any counter measures for supersonic war planes nor against an organized human military. Even against the white fang Atlas was struggling.**

 **Remember** **criticism is welcome so feel free to voice your opinion. Until next time everyone.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and the story. RWBY is property of Rooster teeth.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Professor Ozpin sat in his office musing the current situation of remnant. Several tabs were on his screen, each one seemed to be connected in the headmaster's eyes. A majority of these tabs related to the queen conspiracy that has been plaguing him and his allies for years. The rise of the white fang, an increase in dust heists, and the attack on the fall maiden have caused a massive effort to try and stop an incoming revolution. Ozpin and his allies knew that the queen can and most likely will topple the kingdoms and bring humanity back into the darkness. With all the growing tensions, the grimm have also increased in their attacks and sightings all around Vale. He had several of his best agents trying to counter his opponent, but the queen always seems to be one step ahead of them. The rest of the tabs regarded to several miscellaneous news stories, but one had intrigued him and that was the one he was studying.

The news story told of an Atlesian frigate that disappeared over the southern ocean on a routine patrol to protect shipping lanes from aquatic grimm. Within two days of their patrol, all communications were lost. Communication problems have been prevalent outside the kingdoms, due to the range of the CCT towers, but they never checked back in. This was no communication blackout, no something happened to that ship, and this unknown worried Ozpin to no end. A grimm couldn't have taken out the cruiser, and the white fang don't have the means to destroy a whole military airship. What could have possibly done this? Was there a third party now in play? These two questions flooded Ozpin's mind and he was completely unaware of the incoming call icon that popped up on his screen. It was only after the third cycle did he notice and pick up the call.

The screen was then taken over by his old friend General ironwood. He appeared to be on his personal flagship, and he looked worse for wear. It seemed like he just saw a ghost. "Ozpin! Why the hell didn't you pick up!" the general yelled. Ozpin cringed at the volume, but quickly recomposed himself in order to talk to his old friend.

"Well I was just going over some topics of interest. May I ask what is bothering you? You seem to have seen a ghost." Ozpin replied calmly. Ironwood growled and slammed his fist against his console, causing the image to shake.

"I'm yelling because I just lost my main base in Vale! The whole thing was in flames when I arrived, and the force attacking it was massive! I had to retreat or else I wouldn't be here talking to you right now!"

"Well, now that is a problem" Ozpin said with a raised eyebrow. "Do you re-" Ozpin was cut off by the connection being terminated and rerouted to a new image. What appeared both intrigued and puzzled the headmaster.

A caucasian male was standing behind a podium in a black business suit and a white dress suit underneath the jacket. The podium had a seal with some kind of bird clutching a plant and some arrows. It also had a shield with an odd pattern in front of it. In its beak, it was holding a piece of paper that hovered above its head. It had some unknown language on it that Ozpin couldn't decipher. Behind the man was several flags that had the same pattern on each one. Thirteen red and white stripes with a blue square in the top right corner holding several white stars. The man behind the podium cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Good day people of Remnant. My name is James Woods, and I am the president of the United States. A powerful nation home to extremely patriotic and freedom loving citizens. Several days ago, a frigate belonging to Atlas attacked two of our naval vessels without provocation, while entering our sovereign territory. We lost one of our ships, but we did take out the atlesian ship as well. There were survivors, and I will get to that in a bit. Now as a nation that was attacked without provocation, we have the right to retaliate in any way we deem fit. With that in mind, we attacked the military base that the ship originated from. To dismiss any fears, we will not be pressing our offensive any further. My nation just got out of a nasty conflict with an insurgency, and the last thing my country wants is another war. But don't think that we are afraid to strike when provoked. We have the means and the will to do so. However, my nations people have an ultimatum for you. We may hold a… conference of sorts to sort out this problem. The coordinates will be at the following coordinates in seven days. My nation is aware of how Atlas is tied to every kingdom, so we invite you all to this conference. Now please keep something in mind, if you all decline, then that means that war will continue, and the US has no intention of losing. I would also like to remind Atlas that we have several dozen of their soldiers as POWs. They are being treated humanely and no mistreatment has become of them. We also have a so called specialist named Winter Schnee in our custody. Please keep these souls in mind while you ponder your decisions. Thank you all for your time, and have a splendid day."

The screen then cut back to Ironwood. A shocked expression covered his face and Ozpin had also lost his composure. An awed silence filled the call until the general spoke up in a shaky voice "I have to… report to the Atlesian… council". The call was then cut leaving Ozpin to his own thoughts.

A third party had joined the stage, and it seems like they are no pushover. This could potentially destroy his plans against the queen, or help them in some way. No matter what the outcome may be, he had to consult Vale's council and discuss what action the kingdom will take. Hopefully they come to a decision that will avoid war.

 **XXX**

President James Woods lets out a massive sigh and steps off the stage. Several people begin to clap, all of whom are his advisors. General Cole and Vice President Emily were among those there. James looks towards Emily and says "So how much drama do you think that will cause?"

Emily laughs while shaking her head "Well you definitely made people fear us, but at least you tried to show that we do want peace. Though the public will misinterpret what you say no matter what James."

James grunts and turns to face all of his advisors "Well lets just get this meeting started here and now so then I can get home by eight." He then turns to Cole and gives him the hand gesture to begin.

Cole clears his throat and begins "Well… were do I begin. Well overall, we lost around twenty percent of our armed forces when we were 'teleported' here. The navy lost around forty percent of their combat effectiveness, while the other branches lost only about four to five percent. The Navy also only has four out of the ten aircraft carriers available. We also lost a good chunk of our cruisers, destroyers, and other support vessels. Admiral Oda has assured me that construction of replacements are already on the way, and our losses will be replenished within two years. The construction of the new generation of naval ships is also proceeding ahead of schedule. An example is the four new Zumwalt class destroyers that are already operational. The air force also has finished upgrading their air fleet and are now using the old F-16s as scrap metal and training planes. We are also looking into building our own airships in order to spread our military might and have a more effective counter to Atlas. We also have the updated Abrams tanks as well as the new MA assault rifles replacing the M4s in the army. The Marines are getting the old gear, but I am still proposing that they get some of the new equipment so they can fight even more effectively. Overall, we will be able to fight a war, but we will be on the defensive for the most part."

"Thank you General" James says before turning towards another member of his council "And what about you Michael? What has the cabinet reported?"

A caucasian male steps forward holding a notebook with several papers hanging out haphazardly. His suit was crumpled and the tie hung loosely around his neck. "Well most of the concerns are about the natural resources and industry. For the resources, I suggest sending out survey teams to find oil, iron, and anything else we will need. We have also identified some small dust veins in our territory, as well as how to mass produce synthetic dust. Oil is gonna be the biggest problem for us right now. We have a hell of alot of oil in our reserves, but those are limited. We estimate that in three months we will burn through a majority of it. This is another reason why we need to send survey teams. On the bright side, we have adapted our infrastructure and our comms are back online. Plus NASA has that little show ready for the peace summit or whatever you want to call it. We have also doubled our agricultural output and we should be able to provide food for the majority of our population. We may need to have a some imports, but overall we are looking pretty good. Now the economy is in a plateau, and to be honest we need to export a lot of things. The synthetic dust and perhaps a few other products, like cars and all that, can be exported to the other kingdoms."

James nods and moves to a woman who was standing off to the right. "And what does the CDC have to say about our situation?" the president asks.

The now named Julia lets out a sigh and appears to ponder for a second. She wore a lab coat with jeans and a black t-shirt underneath. She also had brown hair with piercing blue eyes. "I'll just give you the short version so then I don't bore any of you. We found no records of pathogens in the Atlas databases so we assume that our citizens will be fine. What I am worried about is our citizens spreading diseases to the other kingdoms. That's why I ordered the manufacture of more vaccines in case an epidemic occurs. Hopefully these kingdoms have enough common sense to accept our help for something like this."

"Thank you Julia. And you Harrison, does the CIA have anything to report?" A man with a pure black business suit simply shook his head in denial. "Well now I do believe that that will be all. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and finish all the damn paperwork I have on my desk" James grumbles and he hesitantly walks towards the oval office. The rest of his advisors laugh at their president's expense and walk off towards their perspective offices. With the upcoming meeting with the kingdoms, they all had to prepare in case the meeting takes a turn for the worse. They hoped it wouldn't come to that, but you will never know.

 **XXX**

Immediately after the US released their statement, Remnant went into an uproar. The whole world was split on what to do. On one side, many called for the immediate destruction of this barbaric nation, while others called for peace and hoped that diplomacy could solve this issue. The hotspot for the political tension was Vale, and everyday dozens of protests disrupted daily life. Currently, the Valian council was meeting at Beacon academy in order to come to a conclusion on the recent events. Outside the police barricade, thousands of citizens were protesting their own views on the issue. There were so many protesters, several Beacon students were called to assist the barricade. One of the teams was team RWBY. All four girls were at the rear of the formation, and would only assist if the police were overwhelmed. Weiss was pacing back and forth while her three teammates tried to consult her. This was obviously making the Schnee even more irate.

"Weiss just calm down" the team leader Ruby said. She put her hand on her partner's shoulder in order to try and calm her, but she shook it off and glared at the young girl.

"Calm down! How can I calm down when my sister is a prisoner to a group of barbarians! For all i know she could be tortured, maybe even turned into a slave!" Weiss screamed at her teammate. Ruby took a step back in fear while her sister, Yang Xiao Long, stepped in and confronted the heiress.

"Now hold on ice queen, those people said that they were treating all their prisoners humanely. I may not the smartest person around, but that doesn't sound like that they will torture her."

Weiss simply turned away with a 'Hmm' and stormed off towards Blake. Yang and Ruby let out a relieved sigh and looked towards the tower. The council had been in there for several hours, and many hoped for a decision soon. Several more hours passed and many of the protesters ran out of energy and went home. The Vale police chief told team RWBY that they could head out, which they gladly accepted. Just as they were heading to their dorm, the PA system sprang to life, catching the attention of every individual within a five mile radius.

"The council has reached a decision. An official announcement in the morning" the PA system stated. For everyone who heard the announcement, they could only anticipate what decision their government made that would change remnant forever.

 **XXX**

In the industrial section of Vale, a group of conspirators were meeting in an abandoned warehouse. Surrounding the warehouse, dozens of individuals stood guard around the perimeter. Each wore black pants, and a white vest with a red wolf symbol on the back. These guards also wore a grimm like mask and a black hood over their heads. Inside the warehouse, a group of half a dozen individuals stood around a map of Remnant. One wore a red dress with yellow markings on the side. The woman also had bright amber eyes and black hair that went past her shoulders. On teh woman's left was a teenage girl with mint green hair and brown skin. On the woman's right was a teenage boy with silver hair. Across from the woman stood a man with a grimm mask. He was different from the guards that one would see outside. He wore a black jacket and black pants with red designs all over it. He also had horns that broke through his red black hair. The man was leaning against the table, fists clenched and lips formed into a snarl.

"What do you mean we do nothing. We have a new enemy and you want us to do nothing? Cinder, you are really pushing this partnership and its limits. If the fang wasn't prospering from this, then I would have all of your heads and throw your corpses out for the grimm to eat" the man growled at his compatriots.

The two teenagers moved in front of the now identified Cinder, as bodyguards would move in front of an HVI, but the woman merely smirked and glanced mischievously at the man "Now now, when have i ever done you wrong Adam? These Americans are nothing more than a pest. They won't affect our plans" Cinder stated with a seductive undertone. "But we will have to plan for more variables, so we are gonna skip phase two and move on to phase three. This will allow us to cause more damage in one strike." Cinder then turned around and began walking out, but stopped in the doorframe and glanced back at Adam. "And don't worry about your little stray, she will meet the same fate as Ozpin and the rest of our opponents." With that, Cinder and her two compatriots left without another word.

After Cinder left, several bullheads landed outside the warehouse and picked up the guards and Adam. all of these aircraft scattered into the night. Everyone on Remnant went to sleep that night thinking that this US will simply slip into isolationism and enter proxy wars against the kingdoms, or even start the next great war. In the US, many were thinking about the role this nuclear superpower will play in this brave new world.

 **AN: Here you guys go. Now I will warn you all that the updates will become more and more sporadic due to real life problems. I will try to update once a week, but don't count on anything. As always, criticism is welcome so please voice your opinion and point out good and bad things in the chapter/story.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the OCs and the story. RWBY is property of Rooster Teeth.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Over the skies of southern Vale, an F-22 Raptor tore through the sky. This fighter was one among dozens patrolling the airspace of the former atlesian base. This was the primary air screening for the negotiations that are expected to take the defenses there were two companies of army rangers, a tank squadron, and a two zumwalt class destroyers in the harbor. Several dozen miles away from the base, the Enterprise battle group was on standby with a quick reaction force ready to move out if talks turn sour. The atlesian prisoners were also being held at the base, in what is left of the base's barracks. All of the American soldiers defending the negotiating location were on edge, unsure of what to expect, but no one was more on edge Senior Master Sergeant Taylor Maybelle. She is one of the F-22 pilots guarding the skies of the base from any grimm dumb enough to approach, and against any hostile units that may try and take advantage of the situation. Flying thousands of feet above the surface of remnant, she observed her surroundings. This was her fifth sweep and she as starting to get bored. Just as she was about to radio her squadron leader, she saw a light reflection at her left. She immediately decreased her attitude to investigate. What she saw caused her to spring into action.

"Banshee lead, this is Banshee three over' Taylor said into her communication piece of her helmet.

"Banshee three this is Banshee send traffic over" Banshee lead responds.

"I have eyes on several ships heading towards the peace delegation. One matches the hull configuration of an Atlesian frigate, while the other three are unknown. Please advise Banshee lead" Taylor says. She waits several seconds until she hears a response.

"All Banshee elements this is Banshee lead, form up on me at rally point charlie. I will contact command and we will escort the airships towards the base. Everyone understand?"

A chorus of acknowledgments ring through the radio. Taylor then pulls the joystick of her aircraft and guides her plane towards the rally point. She felt the g-forces pull her into her seat as she flies through the clouds. As she approaches the rally point, her HUD lights up with friendly contacts, and she positions herself in the formation. In the squadron, there are five F-22 Raptors in a v-formation. They positioned themselves over the airships, and slowly descended to be in line with the airships. Taylor tensed and gently placed her thumb on the missile release button on her joystick. She was behind the Atlas frigate, and she made sure that her missiles and 20mm cannon were pointed straight at the engines. If shit did hit the fan, she was confident that she could make it out. She was son tense, she jumped out of her seat when she heard the radio come alive.

The familiar voice of her squadron leader was heard first "Unknown airships this is the United States Air Force. Please identify yourselves immediately."

A calm and authoritative voice responded "This General James Ironwood. I am part of the peace delegation as well as the representative of the Kingdom of Atlas. I am also accompanied with representatives from the other three kingdoms."

"Copy that General. Just follow us in."

Taylor could've sworn she heard some grumbling coming from the general, but ignored it and continued flying. Once the base was in sight, the squadron veered away fromt the airships, shaking the remnant natives as their F-22s broke the sound barrier.

As the airships began to land, the marines in the courtyard began to get into parade formation. Two long rows stretched from the doors of the base headquarters, all the way to the airship landing pads. In full combat uniform, and their M4 rifles resting along their chests, they formed a formidable first impression for the ambassadors of the kingdoms. At the base of the landing pads, a marine lieutenant in full dress uniform, flanked by two marine NCOs, waited for the ambassadors to congregate and advance towards them. There was a group of about a dozen people, including a very colorful group of girls. There was also two giant men, one wore a black suit with a green tie and gray hair, while the other man wore a painfully white suit with a single gloved hand. The others wore an assortment of business clothes and each carried different type of briefcase.

As the group approached the marines, the three soldiers snapped to attention and the lieutenant stepped forward "The ambassadors for the United States are this way. Please follow us." the marine said in a loud, commanding voice. The marines turned around, got into formation, and marched off towards the doors. Once the lieutenant passed a marine, they would do an about face and turn their attention away from the ambassadors. The man clad in white sneered at this display, and even growled when a group of apache attack helicopters flew overhead. Some of the marines smile at this display, knowing full well that they got their country the first point for this meeting. Once the group reached the doors. The dress marines moved off to the side, allowing the remnant group entrance.

 **XXX**

Ozpin was quite impressed by the display this new group made. He was also amused at how easily his old friend, General Ironwood, was agitated by this kingdom's military. The hallway his group was now going through was filled with this nation's flag, and lined with soldiers wearing a rather interesting uniform. It was completely gray with specks of gold signifying rank amongst the soldiers. They also wore very bulky chest armor and a helmet that didn't seem to provide a HUD, like the helmet for atlas soldiers does;although the glasses each soldier wore might prove him wrong. These foreign soldiers also had some rather intimidating firearms on them. They were all black and had a rather peculiar shape. It was somewhat rounded and had what appeared to be an ammo counter near the iron sights. It also had the magazine positioned near the stock, and a cylindrical attachment on the bottom of the rifle.

As they reached the end of the hall a massive oak door stood before them. It conflicted with the grey, metallic hallways that were common amongst atlesian buildings. Standing by each door were two men in black business suits and shades. Each also appeared to have earpieces and sidearms hidden under their jackets. These two men opened the door, and stood with the doors as the group entered. Once they entered, they finally saw who they would be meeting with.

Opposing the delegation was a group of what he presumed where the representatives of the US. One was a blond haired man in a green copy of the uniform he saw the three soldiers wear from outside. It had several stars and ribbons on it so Ozpin was able to conclude that this man was part of this nation's military. Next to the man was another man who wore a black business suite with a red tie. On the front of the suit's collar was a pin that appeared to be a smaller version of their nation flag. Ozpin guessed that this man was the ambassador, but he couldn't exactly tell. Behind those two was what he guessed was a reporter and her cameraman. The headmaster frowned slightly at the sight of the reporter, hoping that he wouldn't have to deal with any press until later in the day. He also noticed several more men in suits lining the walls. These men were extremely similar to the ones by the door. Ozpin the realized that these men were a form of bodyguard. He guessed that they might only be for high ranking officials, but once again he wasn't entirely sure. The unknown military man motioned for the delegation to sit, and many did. Ozpin instructed team RWBY to stand behind him, and he sat to the right of Ironwood.

The second unknown man cleared his throat and began to speak. "Good afternoon and thank you for coming. My country is extremely pleased that you all are willing to let diplomacy take a turn. I do believe introductions are in order. My name is Ian Pantaleo. I am the Head ambassador for the United States. To my left is General Cole Murphy. He is one of the heads of my country's military. Now I do believe it is your turn to go."

Ozpin looked to his left and noticed the Mistrilian and Vacuoan representatives were looking towards Ironwood. He and the general exchanged a glance, and came to a non verbal agreement. The General then stood up and began introducing each representative. From Mistral, Maxice Azul, a stereotypical Mistrilian. She had her chin held high, and seemed to look down on everyone at the table. She had extremely dark hair that bordered between brown and black, with a blue highlight running down the left by her ear. She also had bright blue eyes that seemed to glow with her hair. She wore a dark blue business dress with red heels. Next to her was the Vacuoan representative, who seemed to defy the Vacuoan culture. The man's name was Jake Saffron, and he seemed like a carbon copy of Ironwood. The man had black hair and dull green eyes. He also wore a black and business suit with a yellow ties. Yellow lines also ran down his arms and legs. Ironwood then introduced himself, and he noticed that the two Americans tensed slightly at the mention of him being from Atlas.

Once it came to Ozpin, he introduced himself. "My name is Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon academy and the chosen representative for Vale. Behind me are some of my students, Huntresses in training, who I believed that this could give them some experience for their future occupation."

The American General raised an eyebrow and looked at Ozpin "Really? Four teenage girls are your chosen bodyguards? Not sure how to react to that to be honest."

Ian chuckled at his compatriot and looked towards the remnant delegation "I apologize, but in our country they would be considered minors still, and would be classified as child soldiers. I hope you understand, being that we most likely have completely different cultures."

Ozpin nodded and looked over at the other ambassadors "Yes that would be safe to assume. Although I would suggest that we share each of our history in order to connect better."

Cole chuckled and shook his head "You don't need to share your history as we already gathered data on your four kingdoms. Before you ask how, I'm just gonna say that you need to upgrade your cyber security." He then looked at the representatives and his grin grew even wider at their shocked faces. "Relax we only took basic info-"

"And how do we know that! You could have taken all of our nation's secrets and maybe you're spying on all of our citizens!" Ironwood interrupted Cole.

The ambassador let out a ragged sigh and stared the opposing general down. "Well General, if your government has nothing to hide, then you shouldn't worry. If you are just as righteous as you all claim to be, then your citizens wouldn't be in an uproar. But don't consider this a threat, consider this advice. From one nation to another, and considering that we have decades worth of cyber security, you should take our advice to heart." Ian then took a deep breath and then addressed the entire room "Now I do believe you all want to know about us yes?" Once he received several affirmations, the ambassador stood up and the massive screen behind him turned on. What appeared on the screen was not remnant, but a completely different world.

Ambassador Ian gestured towards the screen and says "This is the planet known as Earth. A population of over seven billion and no faunus ever existed here." One continent labeled 'North America had a portion of it lit up in a red highlight. "This is the where the united States of America used to be. Our country consists of the mainland, and several other territories like Alaska in the north, hawaii in the pacific, and several other smaller territories. Now the portion that has come here was the mainland, holding over three hundred million people. Now before you call bs, where did we come from? I believe your own soldiers have stated that no advanced human civilization existed here."

Ozpin then leaned forward, chin held up by his hands and elbows resting on the table, and inquired "Despite this seeming extremely far fetched, but how did you get here?"

Ian chuckled and looked Ozpin dead in the eye "Ever heard of the multiverse theory?"

"Yes I have."

"Well, that's pretty much how we got here. We have a facility dedicated to studying subatomic particles, and there was an accident during one of the tests. Supposedly a rift was opened and spit us out here. I'm sure some of our scientists would have a field day explaining the specifics with you. If you require further proof, no one in our nation has aura and we do not rely on dust."

"That is absurd! Everyone has aura. And no alternative to dust has ever been made!" the mistrilian representative. Everyone in the room turned towards the american general, who was laughing without control.

After several seconds, he finally calmed down and looked at the remnant natives "Well it is true. We use oil and other carbon based materials for our energy, and we use something called gunpowder for our weaponry. If you don't believe us general, I'm sure you and Cole can negotiate a trade in military technologies."

Cole nodded and looked over at the atlesian general "The US could host a wargames, or perhaps an arms demonstration. Might help fix the burned bridges."

Ironwood simply nodded and muttered something under his breath. Ambassador Cole then turned towards the remnant delegation once again and spoke. "Well I do believe the rest of my nation's history can be sent through an email or some other type of information package. Now let's get down to the real politics shall we?"

 **XXX**

The conference only lasted several more hours after that, mostly due to the skill of ambassador Ian. The US will pay reparations for the destroyed base and frigate, but the US did manage to acquire a lot of unclaimed territory and mining rights for oil, coal, uranium, and other ores needed for their economy and military. General Ironwood was extremely unhappy with this outcome, but the rest of the delegation managed to convince him that this was for the greater good. Ambassador Ian also managed to secure several other agreements that were built to gain trust in the remnant natives.

The first was simply sending the history of the United States. Several things were edited out, such as the hydrogen bomb and many other wmds, and even sent some other items as part of a cultural exchange. The second was mostly General Cole and Ironwood, but a arms demonstration and wargames was scheduled during the vytal festival. It was to occur the day before the tournament starts, and last until a week after the festival ends. This exercise was to only include limited ground units and no naval units were to be used. The chosen unit to go was the 1st infantry division, with the 8th bomber wing and 11th fighter wing. These units were chosen due to the fact that they had the most advanced weaponry in the US army. This was a political move suggested by the president. They haven't revealed their own nuclear based weaponry, but this will prove as an adequate deterrent. The final agreement was that the US would aid in combating the White Fang. Part of this was using special forces to attack key outposts and rallies, and even using airstrikes in certain camps and other facilities. President Woods also decided to lend some cyber security advisors to Atlas in order to help protect their systems from infection. Of course, they weren't allowed to do too much. The US wanted to stay ahead of their new competitors.

The US was already confident that they could beat remnant in a conventional and cold war, but they still wanted a trump card. This is where NASA came in. Two days ago, NASA launched over half a dozen satellites and even began a new version of the ISS back at earth. This wouldn't be completely scientific, it was to be part of the orbital defense system. This included space based nukes, as well as several cannons that would shoot tungsten rounds at the surface of remnant. No one in the four kingdoms knew about this, and that resulted in the trump card the US wanted. Hopefully they didn't have to use them, but if they were backed into a corner the US would unleash the wrath of the gods upon these people.

But with the Vytal festival coming, perhaps the forces sent to Vale would be enough to deter full scale war. Of course, many were unaware of the faction in the shadows. The group known as the Black Queen, and these individuals may in fact spark a war remnant has never seen before.

 **AN: Here you all are. Thank you for everyone who submitted OCs for this chapter. As always, criticism is welcome so please leave your opinion/suggestion. Until next time.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY is property of Rooster Teeth. I only own the OCs and the story.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Vale International this is Utah Sierra Tyler Foxtrot 1. I have two dozen planes requesting permission to land."

"Roger that. Proceed to landing strip 7, 8, and 10."

"Copy that Vale international. We are beginning landing sequences."

With the communication cut, 24 C-17 Globemasters tore through the clouds above the valian skyline. Their deafening roar disrupted the everyday life of every Vale citizen, causing them to look up at the gray behemoths streaming towards the airport. Several people took out their scrolls to video these unknown planes, while other simply stood in shock. Even those in beacon academy had their lessons interrupted by these metal behemoths. As they flew over Beacon Academy, the roar of their engines shook the very foundation of the school. Some of the pilots would even report a blonde woman shaking her fist at the US planes. In total, it took two hours for the flight wing to land and taxi to their assigned hangars. Once the planes were in position, their main hatches opened and revealed their cargo.

17 of the 24 C-17s had a full company of US army soldiers march in column formation. Each in full combat gear and sporting new MA assault rifles. They wore an updated ACU camouflage that could blend into the city of vale, as well as the forests surrounding it. In the remaining 7 globemasters, several different combat vehicles emerged. A majority where several variations of the JLTV (the replacement for the aging humvee), as well as a whole tank squadron of the new Abrams main battle tanks. Along with the military personnel and vehicles, a large assortment of ammunition and anything else an army would need to start a war. Once all the vehicles and soldiers gathered at a designated portion of the runway, they made their way toward a certain gate.

Once their cargo was offloaded, the globemasters then flew out of the airport, and back towards their base of origin to pick up the remainders of the 1st infantry division. The remaining troops sat in various bases along the northern states, and the various fighters and bombers were simply waiting for the all clear about their new airbase in Vale. Part of the deal that the US made with the US allowed the US to construct a military base inside the emerald forest. Part of it was that its location would be ideal in defending the city. The other part was that its current location also allowed it to give the CIA a strategic operations base in this new world.

Once the US hacked into the CCT network, the CIA was busy digging into every little crevice of the world. Part of what they found almost caused a war. Several human rights violations, many of which were perpetrated by the Schnee Dust Company, and several worrying prospects about the many terrorist shadow organizations that threatened not only the security of the US but all of remnant. The inability of any huntsmen or kingdom military to take down the white fang worried them enough, but the black queen conspiracy is what really shook up the intelligence agency.

The CIA found dozens of different communications and outposts that were all under an illusive puppet master. They found many different individuals involved, such as Adam Taurus and Roman Torchwick, as well as the group's supposed goals. It seemed that this group planned the downfall of the kingdoms, as well as the capture of a group called the maidens.

This discovery caused a draft of several new contingencies and response teams to be formed. Currently, the President was working with the Joint Chiefs on rushing the reorganization of their armed forces, and the replenishment of all lost resources. Several teams are also being sent out to suspected sites of natural resources that the US would need in the near future. The joint chiefs also organized over two dozen special forces teams that are being sent on raids and tactical strikes on several black queen bases and the elimination of their supporters. The CIA has also been busy creating an information network throughout all the kingdoms. The naval fleets have also been posted in strategic positions all around Vale in order to allow a QRF to reinforce their only foreign base on the planet. The QRF consisted of several different ranger and marine regiments. If they were to come under attack, then the QRF groups will be in the area in no less than eight hours.

Another concern that plagued the US were the aquatic grimm. Several ships were already lost to these monsters, but several solutions have already proven to work. Depth charges and other anti-sub weaponry have proven effective, but a more effective weapon is required. The nuclear submarines have also had their effectiveness reduced to almost zero. The aquatic grimm have torn apart several submarines, and so the remaining ones are now in harbors throughout the US. These issues is what accelerated the creation of the dry navy. This was to be the update for the navy, and soon the whole commercial fleet. This would allow the US to allow their sphere of influence to increase, and it would allow complete safety from the perils of the ocean. The project's code name was Savannah, and its first test run was to take place in the very southern tip of vale by a projected oil field.

 **XXX**

In a vast plain in the southern tip of Vale, Corporal Thomas Brooks stood guard over the survey team scouring the fields. This team was searching for oil and natural gasses, which were crucial for the US in both the military and civilian aspects. The field was also a few dozen miles away from the former atlesian base. This allowed a rather large reaction force to be deployed if they encountered any trouble. The current security force was rather standard: two US army squads and a half a dozen JLTVs. This was already overkill, but they still had another addition added to them. This addition was added by the valian council in order to keep an eye on the US. Brooks understood the trust issues, but he still though this new addition was rather odd.

He looked to his left and saw the new additions relaxing on a few rocks. They a huntsmen team from someplace called beacon and were supposed to be the best of the best. All Brooks saw were a bunch of ridiculously dressed teenagers playing hero. He chuckled to himself saw a bit of himself in those kids. When he joined the reserves, he wanted to serve his country, but still follow his beliefs. He grew up in a christian household, a followed the bible's teachings like an addict. Some of his squadmates called him 'the preacher', but he didn't mind. I honestly kinda suited him. The very thought of it made him chuckle once again. He then quickly recomposed himself and began to work his way towards his squad leader.

As he walked down the makeshift fortifications, he made a mental note of all his men's statuses. About half of the squad manned the turrets on the JLTVs, while others were scattered around the area. Some were patrolling the perimeter while others sat eating various MREs and chatting with their comrades. The corporal did make a note that his men stayed away from the huntsmen team, and thought to bring it up to his sergeant. Brooks guessed that his squad leader would just brush off the question, and he couldn't really blame him. These kids were supposedly elite warriors and the few locals the US has come across have constantly said that the common grunt is nothing compared to them. Despite the fact a handful of SEALs and marines took down one, many remnant natives still believed that their huntsmen were superior warriors. He'd like to see them fight a nuke or even napalm. Brooks chuckled at the thought.

When he approached his squad leader, the corporal noticed the sergeant yelling at one of the scientists. His sergeant was an extremely short man, but was built like an ox. It was almost like a miniature version of Arnold Schwarzenegger without the accent. Just seeing the five foot tall man screaming at a six foot scientist was funny enough. At to the fact that the poor egghead was whimpering and pale from fear made the whole fiasco priceless. Brooks, and the rest of the squad members, didn't dare to laugh or else they would face the wrath of their sergeant. They saw how mean he could be during live fire exercises, and they didn't want to push any of his buttons. As he got within ten feet, he could make out the conversation from both sides.

"What in the flying fuck do you mean that we have to stay here longer?! Didn't you egghead pussy bitches get all the wonderful data you needed?" screamed his sergeant. The man's veins were bursting from his forehead and he looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.

The scientist only shrunk further and barely managed to give a comprehensive reply. " W-w-well we he have t-t-to be sure. I-it costs a l-l-lot of money to b-br-bring the equipment out." The scientist took a deep breath before looking the sergeant in the eyes, trying to muster any courage he had left in him. "My superiors don't want to divert any unnecessary resources to false positives. I'm trying to keep it so that another team won't need to be sent out"

The army sergeant sneered and glared at the scientist with renewed annoyance. 'Well in case you haven't noticed shrimp dick, but my men only have enough supplies for a couple of days. We cannot stay here for another day." The scientist shrunk back further than before, and was about make another fearful comment, but a third party intervened.

One of the huntresses stepped in between the short sergeant and the cowering scientist, cutting off any further dialogue between the two. Brooks finally decided to take in the huntresses appearance, and what he say did not scream warrior. The teenager wore what anyone would call a fashionista wear. She also had a bit of a sassy side with the black beret and sunglasses. Brooks also saw no weapon on her, but he did see a somewhat metallic purse that he hung over her shoulder. She turned towards the sergeant and lowered her sunglasses as she spoke to the man. "Listen, I like the whole macho man vibe you got going, but the grimm are going to be attracted to the this poor guy. Either by the fear or the piss in his pants. So lay off would ya. My team needs a break."

The short soldier's head spun towards her so fast that Brooks would've guessed that his neck broke. "Well girly" the sergeant said with enough venom to kill every man on the planet "my men are bored as hell and need some action. Plus I'm sick of having to deal with idiotic civies all the damn time. So go back to your little friends and continue playing hero."

The fashionista was about to reply when an ear splitting howl tore through the air. From the distance, several black figures materialized and were seen moving towards the group. The US already knew that the grimm used their numbers to fight and overwhelm humans and faunus. Many historians made the connection to the Zulu wars of the late 19th century, and thus several strategies were devised to combat the grimm. The main strategy was to dissipate the numbers from a long distance before they became a major problem. The new strategies were not fully integrated into the US military, but that didn't stop the adaptability of the US soldiers from showing.

With a quick barking of orders, the two squads formed a firing line of sorts. All their vehicles form a straight line and the riflemen form up behind them. The company commander did not see it necessary to equip the security team with any heavy weaponry, so the soldiers would have to make do with their assault rifles and the half a dozen machine guns on their JLTVs. The sergeant turned to address the security team while cocking the lever of his rifle.

"Alright men, I don not want any Rambo bullshit. Short controlled bursts and make every round count. Understood?"

"Sir!"

"Kids, I want you four to be the rearguard and protect the eggheads. Ramirez, I want you to radio command and see if they can get us some fire support."

As Ramirez was getting a message through from his backpack radio, the four hunters collected the scientists and took a more defensive stance. The sergeant moved towards Ramirez and gave the universal signal to fire. Several loud barks from the machine guns on top of the army vehicles were followed by the barking of the assault rifles. Several Grimm were torn apart and created plenty of obstacles for other grimm to trip over. After several seconds of rifle and machinegun fire, the grenade launchers began their chorus, and this proved to be the most lethal weapon to the grimm so far. A massive wall of smoke and fire erupted among the grimm while the shrapnel tore through dozens of the demons. There was no room for celebration due to the seemingly endless tide of grimm.

Ramirez's voice distracted the sergeant and Brooks from the fight "sir I've got command on the line." Brooks moved to take the radio headset while the sergeant moved to coordinate the fire amongst the group.

"This Hotel actual to command. Are you receiving?" Brooks said into the mouthpiece.

"Roger Hotel actual this is command send traffic over."

'"Roger command. We have a whole army of those grimm things breathing down our necks. Requesting reinforcements and any fire support in the area over."

"Acknowledged Hotel actual. Be advised, the dry cruiser USS Northampton is being directed to your position. ETA is two mikes.'

Brooks then turned to his superior and grabbed his shoulder. "Sir HQ is sending reinforcements to our position. They said they will be here in about two mikes. "

The sergeant turned towards the corporal and said "What are they sending?"

"Something called a dry cruiser sir."

The sergeant then raised an eyebrow and frowned. 'What the hell is a dry cruiser?"

"I don't know sir. But command thinks it'll do something" Brooks said while shaking his head. "Let's hope the brass won't screw us over sir."

The two soldiers then turned their attention back towards the massive horde of grimm. Brooks lost count of how many of these demons he killed, but he knew he wouldn't be able to continue much longer. After firing the last few rounds in his magazine, he reached for his chest rig to find a new magazine, only to touch empty pockets. He cursed silently and drew his M9 Berretta. As he started firing his sidearm, he took notice to the chatter amongst his comrades.

"Reloading!"

"I'm on my last mag!"

"Three rounds left!"

"Parker, focus your fire on the left flank!"

"Frag out!"

"Dammit where the hell are all these fuckers coming from!"

"Keep firing dammit! Backup should arrive soon!"

Brooks soon tuned out the banter and focused on firing with whatever ammunition had left. Soon his berretta clicked empty and his last round was fired a the grimm. Others were also shouting that they were out of ammo, and either switching to their sidearm, or trying to help the heavy weapons on the JLTVs reload quicker. Brooks threw his pistol down and pulled a grenade off his chest rig. He spotted a bear like grimm and he made that his target. He pulled the pin and tossed the grenade as hard as he could. He then moved to grab another, when he was thrown off his legs and a massive amount of heat washed over him. He looked up and saw a massive ship hovering above himself and his squad.

The ship was in the traditional gray color scheme that all ships had, but that is where the similarities ended. It had a long, spear shaped hull with dozens of point defense guns littering the bottom of the cruiser. He also saw several different railguns and even old 18 inch cannons accompanying the ship. There were also four engines glowing a bright blue and seemed to give off a visible wave of heat. Along its sides, several hatches opened and fighters poured out of their mother ship. Each fighter was an F-35 and immediately began gun runs on the grimm horde. The rail guns and cannons began firing, creating massive gaps in the horde. Several missiles were also launched from the top of the ship, and streamed towards the rear of the horde. Once they connected with the ground, a massive mushroom cloud erupted and the wall of fire washed over all the grimm. This fireshow stunned all the members of survey team, and they failed to notice their radios receiving a message. After several seconds, each US soldier turned towards Ramirez, who turned his radio volume up for all to hear.

"Attention Survey group Hotel, this is Captain Julius of the USS Northampton. Hope you boys enjoyed the fireworks.'

"The sergeant yanked the headpiece off the radio and screamed into it. "Damn it Captain what the hell are you thinking using nuclear ordnance? The Joint Chiefs have-"

"Relax soldier. Those were fuel air bombs. No nuclear ordnance was used. Trust me if i was to use any nuclear missiles, I would only need one to deal with your pest problem. Anyways, command want your group back at base for debriefing and some R&R. Also, tell the kiddos that their headmaster has a transport on the way for them to return back to school."

"Roger that captain. And when we get back, i am buying you a drink.'

Julius laughed and said 'looking forward to it."

With that, the line was severed and the sergeant turned towards his men. "Alright ladies, mount up. We are going home." He then pointed towards the hunter team and said "You guys have your own transport waiting for you back at base. Once we are back you are to report to that transport immediately."

And with that, the survey team mounted up and sped off towards their base, leaving the field of decaying grimm behind them. This was the first engagement the US military had with the grimm, and it went better than expected. New strategies would be drafted and theories on how to counter and even control the grimm began to arose. The various leaders in washington would be having numerous headaches with the paperwork very soon. Of course, the biggest headache would be given to the diplomatic delegation going to the fledgling kingdom of menagerie.

 **XXX**

Over the skies of the island of menagerie, a trio of blackhawk helicopters raked the skies over the main settlement of the island. This settlement was the default capital of this kingdom that was barely holding on to its own territory. This fledgling kingdom was formed out of the beginning of the faunus rights revolution, and was treated as a prison for the faunus ever since. Atlas would occasionally bring a taskforce to 'police' the population, but the US government had done some digging and what they found disgusted them. There had been at least four dozen different reports of mass murder and several other human rights abuses. Constant race crimes and what was borderline genocide ran rampant whenever the so called 'peacekeepers' arrived. Fortunately, Atlas was not here at the moment, and the US sent an ambassador after receiving a call for help from the fledgling kingdom.

Two hours after the US made their announcement to the world, they received a rather broken and frantic call from this nation. This kingdom was entirely made up of faunus, and they would normally not trust humans; however, they believe that an enemy of Atlas is a friend of theirs. And thus, the negotiations were scheduled for this very day.

President Woods would have sent Ambassador Ian, but he was currently busy with setting up embassies in the other kingdoms. Instead, the president sent one of his more, hardened ambassadors.

The ambassador's name was Alec Murphy, and he was sitting in the lead blackhawk going over all the data he could muster about this nation, and reviewing his goals for the negotiations. Alec was a rather short man, his height being around 5'10", and was also the sibling of General Cole Murphy. The only difference in appearance between the two was his faded green eyes and his disheveled hair. He never wanted to comb it, and no one managed to bother to force him after the second christmas party of president Wood's term at the white house. He was rather laid back, but was a cutthroat politician, especially in , he wore a grey business suit with a blue and white striped tie. Like all other government officials, he wore a miniature american flag on his left jacket collar.

Alec sympathized with these people, and hoped to help them out, but his objectives for this negotiation took priority. The first was to simply make a military and political alliance with this kingdom, and coordinate the relief and rebuilding of the kingdom's infrastructure, and help weed out the white fang cells in the area. These cells were also the reason why his bodyguard consisted of two teams of army rangers, and three teams of delta operators. His second objective was to secure mining rights, as menagerie was suspected to have large reserves of oil in their territory as well as natural gas. This would help to further stabilize the United State's economy, and help out with the logistics of the nation. His final objective, one that he added himself, was to integrate menagerie into the US as a territory, and maybe even a state. Now this goal was far fetched, but it would help justify anything the US wanted to do in the region. It would also allow the logistics of defense, rebuilding, and relief Atlas and other extremist human groups.

After reviewing his files for a good portion of the trip, he sighed and slid them, into a carryon bag he had at his side. He looked to his left and saw the ocean disappear into the landmass that is the island. He then heard the pilot's voice speak through his headset.

"Mister Ambassador, we will be landing in less than thirty seconds."

Alec then nodded and thanked the pilot. He continued to look out the window, and saw a massive park with several figures waiting in a straight line. As the helicopters began to land, one of the delta operators in his helicopter opened the door, and the ambassador began to step out. He jumped out of the helicopter a second before it officially landed, despite the warnings from his security detail. Alec was not a man to hide behind others, and so he took the lead with his security detail rushing behind him.

As he approached the line of faunus, one woman stepped forward to great him. This woman was at least a head higher than him, and had auburn hair going down to her shoulders. He also noticed a pair of rabbit ears poking out of her skull. She also had bright green eyes that seemed to glow in the sunlight. The woman also had a red and orange dress that went down to her knees. Alec noted that people seemed to be afr more liberal in their choice of clothing, if the bystanders were anything to go off of.

The woman held out her hand and said "Welcome to menagerie mister ambassador. I am Hazel Scarlatina, and I am the governor of this island. Behind me are the council that help me out trying to keep this place afloat."

"Thank you for hosting madam governor, the US will always come to those in aid. My name is Alec Murphy, and I represent the United States of America."

"Well mister ambassador" said Hazel "Shall we get going to the government building? I believe these talks will take time and I want to get these started as quickly as possible.'

Alec nodded his hand and followed the local government body. He only took one team of delta operators with him while the rest stood guard by the helicopters. The ambassador couldn't help but notice the glares he received from the civilians. Some even ran inside and closed their door. Some others even spit in their direction. This behavior was extremely hostile, but expected. These people have been abused for countless years and it would only make sense for them to not trust humans. But this will all change, and after these negotiations, these citizens will be free from their chains and would be lead back into the light by the US.

 **AN: Here you guys are, a chapter a little earlier than normal. I tried to keep this one short as I hate dragging chapters on for longer than maybe 5k maximum. The shorter they are, the easier the ideas flow and I don't get bored of writing it. Anyways, Expect another on next week on Friday, but i might have a new one come out earlier than that. i will warn you guys though, next chapter will contain a lot of politics and quite possibly even a military parade.**

 **As always, criticism is welcome so please leave a review and tell me what you guys think. Until next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Ever since its founding, the Centers for Disease Control has worked towards the safety and wellbeing of every american citizen. For decades it has combated every disease and biological weapon that could threaten the nation, and also research new cures and vaccines for existing ones. It was even regarded as the leading force in disease research back on earth. Even after the US was sent to remnant, the CDC's agenda did not change. If anything, they welcomed the new challenges this world could show. The diseases back on earth began to bore the scientists, and even new diseases seemed too similar to pre existing ones. This new world had several pathogens that seemed to be dormant around the aura users, and would activate when around non aura users. This seemed to explain why there has been no plague in Remnant's history. Still, these diseases seemed very similar to diseases like ebola and even the bubonic plague. This deeply frustrated scientists, but one discovery brought the whole scientific community in an uproar. This discovery is what the director of the CDC, Julia Peterson, was investigating.

Julia was walking in one of the numerous sublevels that existed beneath the main building, each had their own main focus on research. This particular level was focused on the research of plant life and their applications to modern medicine. This department rarely had any new findings, and only existed so that the CDC could cover every base when it came to medical research. Because of this, the director was rather surprised when she received an urgent message from the head researcher in the project. Why he couldn't have just walked to her office she didn't know. Julia hoped that he actually found something and didn't just call her over to relieve his boredom. Honestly, why she hasn't fired the man yet escapes her. As she approached the door, she could booming laughter and what sounded like an office chair sliding around the floor. Julia only rolled her eyes at this and opened the door. What she saw left her in shock.

The whole room was about thirty square feet with three long lab tables cutting through the middle. Each table was overflowing with a vine like plant that seemed to swallow these table whole. The floor was littered with papers and several broken vials that were filled with a strange, greyish substance that seemed to melt into the tile floor. While the conditions of the lab alone would make any other scientist have a heart attack, what her colleague was doing really made her question his employment status. The man was indeed navigating his lab with an office chair, using the walls as momentum to push himself around the office, he was also laughing like a madman. It was only after several seconds did the scientist notice his boss and his mood character made a complete one-eighty.

The man immediately stood up and straightened out his lab coat. He almost seemed to stand at attention when he greeted his boss. "Ah Director. Please excuse my… well… just ignore everything that you saw please. Though when see what I discovered you might act the same way."

Her underlings greeting struck her out of her stupor and almost made her jump. He was never this focused nor disciplined. "I would have to agree to your request, but please show me what you found. I really have to catch up on the paperwork for the programs combating the 'new' diseases we found. So please Dan, let's get this underway."

"Ah yes, of course." the now identified Dan replied as we motioned for Julia to follow. "While I was studying the effects of this particular plant on several test animals, I noticed a trend. Those that were sick almost instantly became healthy, though it was only so long as the plant was around. For a few days, I asked several other research divisions to test this plant on their own animal subjects, and the results were all the same." He explained as they walked towards the far end of the room. "After a closer examination, I discovered that this plant has certain proteins that react to almost every pathogen that exists. It inhibits them, makes them dormant, and gives the body a breather. I had managed to isolate the proteins, which is in these vials."

The scientist then pointed to a small collection of vials with a bluish grey look. It almost seemed to be in a gaseous form. It swirled in the vials and seemed to create a vortex that glowed an eerie blue. Dan looks back towards Julia and adds "These proteins also seem to be infused with this aura energy and so far has shown to disable any pathogen it comes across. This could revolutionize modern medicine as we know it! Please take these vials and the papers under them. They are all my notes. Send them to the president and get some more research and medical trials approved."

Julia grabbed the vials and papers and made her way to the door. Once she was in the door frame, she stopped and turned towards her colleague. "Don't worry Dan" she says with a grin "I will do just that and more."

 **XXX**

"In total, we have lost over a dozen military vessels to the Class S Grimm known as krakens. Unless we implement countermeasures soon, our naval power will be reduced dramatically. A majority of my fleets are now back in port or in safe waters by our borders. I only have one that is still in international waters, but even that fleet will soon be forced to take shelter in our home ports soon." this report came from Admiral Oda, and to say the man was angry would be a vast understatement. The normally calm and collective admiral was the pure embodiment of silent rage, and the aura he gave off unnerved the other joint chiefs in the briefing room.

"Yes… the grimm have proven to be an extremely difficult problem to solve. Unless this involved ground operations, I'm afraid myself and General Cole cannot provide any insight on this matter." said General Charles. "Though i can assure you that the navy has top priority when it comes to funds, as well as any resources it needs to repair its combat effectiveness. Myself, Cole, and Rachel have no further projects to complete, and any we do have on standby will be put on hold." Two nodding heads showed that the other two generals agreed with what their comrade said.

Oda sat back in his chair and let out a ragged sigh. "Thank you. I'll let my scientists know that they have the green light for and R&D projects they have. I guess we should move to our next topic yes?"

"Yes we should" Cole replied as he typed in a few commands into the terminal that was built into the table that sat in the center of the room. After he finished, the center of the table lit up in a holographic display of the planet remnant. This image was thanks to NASA and the half a dozen satellites they managed to set up. They really have done some extraordinary work in just a few weeks, though they were helped with the fact that they had several launches already scheduled before the incident.

General Cole then typed in a few more commands and various spots on the map were highlighted in a red hue. Some appeared in the kingdoms of Vacuo and Mistral, but a majority seemed to be focused on Vale and Menagerie. "Everyone, we have a dire situation in our hands. As we all know, the White Fang is a grave threat to our security and seems to be very similar to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, both in tactics and ideology. AS you can see, their cells are mostly centered around the kingdom of Vale and Menagerie. Now I am not worried about Menagerie, as once Ambassador Alec is done over there, those cells will be taken care of, what i am worried about is the situation in Vale. According to the CIA, the Fang are conducting a mass mobilization of their forces towards several bases inside the Kingdom. Additional data also shows that the queen entity is pulling the strings on this operation. It is also reinforced due to what the media is calling 'the breach'."

"Ah yes I know that" General Rachel spoke up "The Fnag tried to lead a bunch of grimm into the city. According to reports from our forces, casualties and damage was at a minimum."

"While that may be true, there are tell tale signs that this plan was set off too early. I believe your SEALs found this out. Right Oda?"

"Yes they did. Several files were recovered that showed that they were scheduled to attack during the Vytal festival, but one of the beacon teams caused them to launch early."

"Indeed. But what could there endgame be?" questioned Cole.

"I think I have and idea." All heads turned towards Rachel, who was sitting back comfortably in his chair. "From what i was able to understand, their plan could have done a lot of damage. If their strategy would have worked, then why change the central idea? If I was in charge, I would simply adapt to the new changes and find ways to attract grimm during the festival. I mean seriously, the whole event is going to be televised to the entire world. Make some tragic scene and everyone will see it. The damn negative emotions would attract every grimm within a hundred miles."

"I would have to agree with RAchel, though I am surprised that you managed to come up with that" said Charles. Oda nodded in agreement while Cole merely glanced over to his colleague, curious to see the reaction.

"Oh shut it Charles."

The marine General smirked and leaned back in his chair, satisfied with the result. Oda also showed some satisfaction, but it was soon replaced with his typical calm facade. Rachel responded with a simple finger gesture as she sat back in a pout. Cole merely raised an eyebrow at his colleagues shenanigans, but then clapped his hands and stood up.

"Well, I believe this meeting is adjourned for now. I have a plane to catch."

"Ah right, you're going to Vale for the festival or whatever right?" asked Rachel. The past conflict seemingly forgotten.

"Yes I am. And I will also be relaying our findings to both Ozpin and Ironwood. Though I also have to make sure the security is actually solid, so I am bringing the 1st armoured with me as well. If what Rachel said is true, then we need to be at level alpha. Charles, i want you to go to the president and brief him of the information we have acquired, and coordinate with Oda and Rachel in transporting forces to Menagerie when our Ambassador is done over there. Rachel, I want you to also talk to the CIA and FBI and let them know of our suspicions."

All three said a form of acknowledgement and started to walk out of the room. Cole turned around and walked towards a terminal that was embedded into the wall farthest from the door. He pulled a flash drive from the terminal and stuffed it in his breast pocket. He made an about face, and proceeded to walk out the doors with the two guards snapping at attention as he walked past. He nodded to them and continued onward. He had a plane to catch, and he wanted to be sent off with his men, plus it was rude late.

 **XXX**

"And of course you humans may use this as an excuse to enslave us like Atlas! Furthermore…"

The complaining of the Menagerie official was completely tuned out by Alec as he took another sip from the glass of water he was provided. He was currently in a fairly spartan conference room with just himself and three other menagerian politicians. In his opinion, these guys were worse than any politician he had encountered back at earth. They kept saying the same thing over and over. It was always 'you damn humans just want to enslave us'. Honestly he was getting sick of this bull shit.

He sat back up and placed his glass back on the coaster. He then turned towards the politician who was currently spewing his own racist ideas on humans. "Sir if I may interrupt, could you not repeat the same concerns as your colleagues. While I understand your paranoia, I am rather tired of answering the same questions and concerns over and over. I would also like to remind everyone here that americans have had no part of any of the past racism that has occurred. The United States is also horrified by the very thought of what is going on to your people."

A bull faunus slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "That is absurd! You damn humans are all the same! You're only here to enslave us like the damn Schnees!" The faunus in question was wearing jet black pants and a white button up shirt. He had black hair with reddish brown eyes. His hair was combed back into a fauxhawk.

"Auburn calm down or I will have you removed!" Hazel said to her angered colleague. "The US has never done anything to us and we need their help against Atlas.'

"Which is why i am proposing that the US sends twenty thousand troops to help fortify the island and train your own soldiers. We are also willing to donate equipment and aid you all in clearing out the White Fang cells in the area" Alec added to what Hazel said.

"You just want to do that in order to have an excuse to kill faunus" Auburn said.

"Well I am sorry Auburn but myself and Jade agree with the US proposal and will allow a detachment to be sent." The eagle faunus at the far end of the table simply nodded his head in agreement. Jade wore an all green business suit with black hair dyed green down the middle.

Alec turned once again towards the bull faunus and said "I assure you sir, that the US will not oppress your people. Our constitution even discredits anyone who discriminates against anyone based off of race, sex, or religion."

Auburn sneered at Alec and almost growled while saying "Whatever. You both have probably been bribed by the damn humans." He then pointed towards the ambassador and and stated "And I doubt that the people will agree with your actions." He then stood up and walked out of the room while saying "You will all burn in hell you bastards."

As he walked out of the room, everyone left let out a sigh of relief. The negotiations met a stalemate when the topic of the US sending troops to help with the security of Menagie. But now that the roadblock is gone, the details can be finalized.

After the outburst, the negotiations wrapped up rather quickly. It was decided that the US military would get an old fort that was big enough to accommodate all the entire division heading towards menagerie, and a port was also designated for the naval detachment as well. In total, 15,000 army personnel would be deployed with four cruisers and two destroyers as support. Additional troops and aircraft will be sent once an airfield is constructed and the situation at the kingdom is more stable. The White Fang had too strong of a grip on the island, and the local military was inept at dealing with the threat. Because of this, the marine corp graciously donated a dozen instructors to drill and train the current military force at the island. On top of all that, Menagerie will also be receiving a shipment of cold war era weaponry and vehicles. This includes patton tanks, M16s, gen one TOW missiles, and M113 troop carriers. To the United states these may seem outdated, but this would be a major upgrade for the local military. Many of their soldiers have never fired a gun, much less equipped with one.

Another agreement was the mobilization of engineers and red cross workers to help with the rebuilding and modernization of the kingdom. The Kingdom wasn't any better than Africa was back in the late nineteenth century, thus showing how isolated and abused they have been by the international community. Many faunus didn't have running water, plumbing, or even a constant source of food. Amss starvation and White Fang executions were commonplace with the local police usually being bribed by the terrorists. The only place where a seemingly vague sense of order occurred was the capital city. Even then crime and poverty was a common sight when wandering the streets. This was a stark contrast to what the ambassador's brother was experiencing, but both men had a creeping headache due to what they are/have been dealing with.

 **XXX**

The Vytal festival was a several decade long tradition that started after the great war. Part of it was to ensure peace among the kingdoms and to prevent negative feelings from attracting the grimm. Another use was to show off the newest generation of hunters and huntresses, but recently the councils of all four kingdoms thought to include something other than the skilled warriors. Over a decade ago, the Atlas council proposed that the standard militaries play some role in the festival. It was first thought that they soldiers might compete in the tournament, but a different consensus was made. On the first day of each festival, there was to be a military parade and an arms demonstration for each army of every kingdom. This actually raised morale and the trust between the governments and its citizens grew exponentially. And with the newest grimm attack, the public needed a confidence boost. Many citizens were delighted when they saw the armies of all four kingdoms march down the central street of the city, heads held high and acting like they just won a war.

Of course, the Us was invited to go and General Cole along with the division commanders were forced to sit and watch the kingdom's armies try and assert their dominance over each other. To Cole, all he saw were inexperienced troops who have never faced anything other than an oversized wolf. He also noted how each soldier overdramatized their movements. Goose stepping and swinging their arms up to their heads, it almost ,made them look intimidating. The US general looked to his left and saw Ironwood and the other kingdom military leaders saluting their troops and patting themselves on the back. His division commanders then left to lead their troops on the parade.

Ironwood approached the general and sat down next to him. With a drink in hand he looked over to the annoyed general with a smirk on his face. "You feeling alright general?" He asked. "It seems you look intimidated by our forces. I don't blame you to be honest. These men and women are the best in the world."

Cole then looked at the general and rolled his eyes. "Well Ironwood, I am just annoyed by this whole parade. I get what you are trying to do, but only action will put them to ease. Perhaps instead of attending this parade, these soldiers could be stopping any terrorist activity in the city." He then stood up when he the familiar sight of BDUs coming down the road "And besides general, only my military has any actual combat experience."

With that ironwood simply shook his head and watched as the other kingdom generals sat down. The only one to stand was General Cole, which was a political message if anything. The kingdoms did not trust nor respect the new nation, which was to be expected, but the US did not care. As history has shown: if you tread on the snake, you will receive its bite.

As the US came down the road, they were a stark contrast to the previous militaries. Instead of the bright colors and flashy movements of the previous armies, the US military simply walked in synch down the road. Their uniforms were also a myriad of greens, grays, and browns. They almost seemed to blend into one another as the camouflage patterns morphed into each other. Their helmets were also different. Instead of covering the whole face, it only covered the top of the head with a pair of sunglasses over the eyes. Some soldiers also seemed to have a balaclava covering their faces. They also appeared to be bulky with their combat vest and several knee and elbow pads covering them. The dragon scale ballistics armour also bulged under certain areas of the soldiers' bodies. They held their rifles across their chests, muzzle pointed downwards, and fingers off the triggers. Their firearms were jet black with no insignias or any sign of mecha shifting.

In front of these infantrymen were the colours of both the unit and the country. Unlike their comrades behind them, these soldiers wore their dress uniforms. This contained a black suit jacket with a white undershirt underneath it. Along with the undershirt was a black tie that was secured neatly around the neck. They also wore bright blue pants with a yellow stripe moving down each leg. Black dress shoes, white gloves, and a black military cap completed the outfit. Some of these men and women also had various stripes on their left arm with all of them carrying a myriad of medals and ribbons on their chests. Flags being held at a 90 degree angle to the ground, and the wind causing the flags to be fully displayed.

Behind the various infantrymen of the 1st armoured division, the real staple of US military power appeared. Various different armoured vehicles rolled down the street with their cannons pointing as high as they can. Among the vehicles were the Bradleys, Strykers, and several different JLTVs. These vehicles had a forest camo scheme and their vehicle commanders stood outside the vehicle looking dead straight. Each vehicle looked more menacing than the last, and each citizen could only imagine the power behind them. Many believed that they shouldn't show of their tanks, and save them for the arms demonstrations and possibly front line combat. What astounded the US military was the fact that remnant had never seen anything like a tank before in their history. Many just assumed that this is what happens when you are in a time of peace.

The US section was extremely short compared to the other kingdoms, but its effect was obvious. The United States has put an immense investment in their military, and they can and will use it if provoked. Thankfully, the only enemies that are recognized are the grimm and a terrorist group that has grown in size despite this world's best attempts to stop it. Hopefully the US can do something and help this world reach a more secure future.

General Cole turned around once the last vehicle and soldier left his vision and walked towards the atlesian general. He could see a look of confusion on his face, and he was rather amused by it. As he approached, the general got up and walked towards the american.

"Well that wasn't what I was expecting." Ironwood said. "Although, it does seem like you were holding back on this parade."

Cole simply shook his head and proceeded to reach into the inside of his dress uniform jacket "Action will show my armies true potential, not some parade." he then pulled out a flash drive and handed it to the Atlesian. "This will also help you against our common enemy. Please act on this and don't ignore it. The Fang cannot be allowed to grow anymore than it already has."

The atlesian general hesitantly took the drive. Once he did, the american walked away leaving Ironwood in a contemplative silence.

 **AN: Happy Monday everyone. here is the newest chapter of this story. I'll be honest, I did kinda rush this chapter so then we can get into the juicier bits of the story. So I apologize it it seems rather choppy at times. I would also like to give a personal thanks to** **OBSERVER01. This individual has given me a ton of ideas and a lot of the future content has been inspired by him. Now I would also like to warn you all that updates will not be as frequent. College applications and schoolwork is starting to hit me full speed and swim season is coming as well. Hopefully I can still update every other week, but don't hold me to that. As always, criticism is welcome so please leave your thoughts and criticisms through a review. until next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Come on guys! I wanna see the arms demonstration!" exclaimed a rather excited Ruby Rose.

"Jeez sis, never thought you would want to see a military in action. Always thought you preferred huntsmen weapons." Her sister, Yang Xiao Long responded.

"I know, but remnant has never seen their weapons before, and they are going to show them off on live TV! Oh I can't wait to see what kinds of goodies they have. I wonder if I can grab some of their tech and upgrade crescent rose?"

This scene was rather common amongst the individuals at beacon as well as the rest of remnant. Everyone was excited to see what this new arrival is capable of. Ever since the US beat Atlas, many became curious about the capabilities of this nation, and after the parade those curiosities skyrocketed. The United States paraded vehicles and weapons that have never been seen before on this planet. From the rifles their infantry carried all the way to the intimidating canons on their vehicles, everyone was eager to see just what this new nation could contribute to the protection of the world. Many individuals also showed their fear of this nation, and openly expressed their hatred. To many, the US was simply a bully that should have its power stripped. However, a majority of the remnant natives were on the fence. Simply unsure of how they felt. All of these questions were to be answered in a few minutes as an interview of a leading US military official and a demonstration of their military power was to be broadcasted live. Thankfully, team RWBY made it to their dorm on time and were able to tune in to the channel that was hosting the event. Ruby and Yang sat upright, eager to see just what firepower the US was packing. Blake payed attention, but feared what could happen if the US turned out to be just as bad as Atlas. Weiss barely paid attention and stated that she didn't care about a group of barbarians.

Once the time for the program was reached, the screen showed some static for a second, and then refocused on what appeared to be a scene straight out of a military action movie. Dozens of computers and monitors could be seen, and several uniformed individuals could be seen moving between the screens. Some were even directing others. Team RWBY was unsure what they were directing, but they assumed it had something to do with their military. In the foreground, two individuals stood in front of the organized chaos. One was immediately identified as Lisa Lavender, the gutsy reporter that had no fear. She is well known for covering the more controversial stories and is famous for her unbiased reporting. The man next to her was also recognized by the all female team as General Cole Murphy. He wasn't entirely known to the people of remnant, and the only reason why the girl recognized him at all was due to their prior run in with him. Not a second after the screen was focused, the esteemed reporter began to speak.

"Good evening people of remnant, my name is Lisa Lavender and today I am joining Cole Murphy. He is the head General of the United States Army and has personally overseen the US military operations in Vale. I have to thank you for allowing me to join you General, and I do believe that i speak for everyone when I saw that I am rather curious to see what you military is capable of." As the reporter finished her introduction, the young general simply nodded and turned fully towards her.

"You are most certainly welcome Ms. Lavender. I can also see why remnant would be so curious about our capabilities. In order to demonstrate our military power, I have brought in the 8th armored division to help show the world just how powerful the US is."

The reporter raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "And just what is an armored regiment General?" the reporter asked. "I know atlas has armored regiments, but those are full of their unmanned drones and their new paladins."

The General simply nodded and pointed towards the central screen on the wall. Not a second later, the screen switched from its original picture to a collage of several different vehicles, some shown at the parade while others were an unknown to anyone not from the US. "Our version of an armored regiment consists mainly of heavy vehicle support with several regiments of both infantry and air support. These divisions can be used for attack and defense, but historically they have been used for assaults. These divisions are also known to have a larger variety of tanks and and other armored vehicles than other regiments. Armored vehicles give our infantry a mobile system of cover and fire support in order to help them achieve their objective. The most common armored vehicle you will see is the IFV or infantry fighting vehicle. It hosts a 20-40mm cannon with several different heavy and light machine guns that can be manned from the vehicle commander. It also has the ability of transporting a squad through hazardous areas. We also have several variants of tanks that you will see momentarily."

"Are all your vehicles built to fight other people?" asked the reporter.

"Yes a majority are due to the fact that we don't have any grimm in our borders" responded the general.

"You have no grimm within your borders? I find that very hard to believe General."

"Well once my government sorts out the borders and immigration issues you are more than welcome to come over and see for yourself, but enough banter. My men are starting their demonstration."

 **XXX**

In a clearing in the emerald forest, a US howitzer crew was preparing to fire. A dozen soldiers were moving between the cannons moving ammunition and other necessities for the firing procedure. Many of these skilled warriors did not have their complete uniforms on. Some were missing helmets, while others did not have their combat vests on. These missing items were strewn about around the howitzers along with crates of ammunition. A handful of soldiers were also standing around watching the perimeter in case any uninvited guests arrived. A camera crew was also present, moving around the guns and interviewing the crew commander questions on how these guns operated.

As the troops were preparing, a trio of cobra gunships flew overhead shaking the tree tops. Several seconds later, the sounds of cannons and rocket explosions sounded off in the distance. The civilian news crew jumped at the sounds while the soldiers continued to complete their tasks. Once the guns were ready, the commander sent a ready signal to the nearby command outpost. A few seconds later, the commander received orders for a fire mission.

"Fire mission in grid 577369! Three rounds HE! Fire on my command!" shouted the commander.

Several different acknowledgements responded to the commander and the crews began preparing the howitzers. Rounds were placed in the chamber with a ramming rod pushing it into position. An additional charge was placed behind the round in order to give it more propulsion. Then the soldiers were elevating the barrels to the desired angle in order to hit the projected target. Once the guns were set, several ready signals were sent to the commander. Once the order was given, the thunderous boom of the howitzers shook the ground as they sent their deadly payload to the coordinates.

As the howitzer crews prepared the next salvo, a trio of cobra gunships flew low overhead shaking the treetops around the clearing. Several seconds later, the 20mm cannons and rocket pods added to the symphony of destruction that was being conducted in the forest. Dozens of explosions and the constant crackling of gunfire disturbed the peace in the once quiet forest. AS several more howitzer batteries opened up, the infantry were preparing to face their own objective.

 **XXX**

If there was one thing any infantryman hated, it was waiting. No matter who you asked, this was always on the top of the list. Is didn't matter if it was training or a combat mission, waiting always crept under any infantryman's skin. This is what the men of the 8th armored division were forced to do, wait in their vehicles and foxholes until the assault signal was given, but what were they assaulting?

According to the division commander, a defensive network was set up on a hill a couple miles from their current position. It was a rather standard defensive network with a couple foxholes, makeshift trenches, and a few machine gun nests. The defenders were made up of donated AK-130s from beacon academy and Atlas. These androids were apparently the older models, and thus a surplus of unneeded androids were in desperate need of scraping. Of course, the US military was happy to 'borrow' a few for the purpose of the arms demonstration. Around a regiment's worth of androids were dug in, and the objective was to capture an HVI hidden in the defensive network.

The assault force was made up of half of the 8th armored division, with a majority of the force being mechanized infantry with a few MBTs for support. This was to show a conventional assault, but command didn't want to reveal all the cards they had, and this caused the demonstration to operate under several restrictions. The main one was that close air support was severely limited as well as artillery and armored support. These limitations caused the only fire support to be cobra gunships and a handful of howitzer artillery units. The armored support was limited to the Sheridans and the modern Patton tanks. No Abrams were to be showed yet, but a debut during the war games with Atlas was planned for the end of the festival.

Finally, the attack order was given and the units started advancing under the cover of their artillery and gunships softening up the enemy positions. Among the infantrymen assaulting the position was the newly transferred Thomas Brooks. He was currently advancing alongside a patton tank and the rest of his new squad. Their main objective was to support this patton tank in wiping out a cluster of trenches and machine gun nests.

The squad moved in a column formation behind the tank, with the two lead soldiers using the slow moving tank as support for their rifles. The rest were trying to remain as low as they could while keeping pace with the tank. This continued for several minutes until all hell broke loose.

Dozens for tracer rounds tore past the squad causing them to moved away from the outside of the tank. A majority missed their mark and the rest bounced of the armor of the patton. The two lead soldiers returned fire from their rifles, trying to get a bead on their attackers. The tank then joined the riflemen, firing its heavy machine guns and its cannon. Several other squads and vehicles joined in on the retaliation, creating a thick soup of dust and bullets.

A private near the rear of the column tried to lean to the outside to provide his own fire support, until he was hit in the chest. As he fell backwards, his whole body was overcome with a wave of blue electricity and his whole body stiffened into a falling pose. The androids were firing a new training round that beacon provided and the higher ups were more than happy to use it. This was as close to real combat as they could get, at least with little casualties.

"Stay behind the tank! Brooks, get your launcher up here!" screamed the sergeant in the front of the column.

Brooks shouldered his rifle and moved up the column in between the two lines of men and women. As he moved forward, he pulled out his US made RPG-8 and primed the rocket for firing. The US adopted this rocket launcher shortly after the end of the middle eastern conflicts. Once this was added to their javelins and stingers, it quickly elevated the US infantry's combat effectiveness greatly. It is still a rather rare sight to see, but it is still common enough for at least one squad in a platoon to have at least one. This RPG was more focused on anti infantry operations, rather than the javelin and stinger being anti vehicle, which ultimately caused the capability of the US infantry to become more balanced and well rounded.

Once Brooks reached the tank, the soldier on the right side moved back to allow him to lean against the now stationary tank. He shouldered the launcher and sighted the bunker that was the closets. From the shadow of the interior, he could make out the four red eyes of the weird android the remnant natives used for defense. Many within the US military view this tactic as cowardly and even a downgrade for the most part. It was a common dream that drones would eventually replace soldiers back on earth in the first years of the 21st century, but that idea was quickly scrapped after ten years of testing with several different types of drones. Instead, drones were more of a support role, but the common grunt was still the backbone of the USA.

Brooks turned his head slightly to his left, away from the launcher and shouted "Clear back blast!"

After a couple seconds he heard "Back blast clear!" and he pulled the trigger on the launcher. A massive wave of energy launched from the rear of the RPG and created a massive gust of wind. Thankfully, no one was behind it and all the squad felt was a gust of wind.

The missile flew towards the bunker at 350 meters per second. Thankfully, the accuracy was spot on for this shot and it hit its mark: the android itself. Once the rocket hit the metal contraption, the dirt bunker caved in on itself and what was left of the machine gun was thrown out of the bunker and landed unceremoniously in the grass. It was no longer the sleek white gun it once was, but a twisted husk of charred metal. And to add to the display of firepower, several artillery rounds hit the remaining bunker, creating massive craters where they once stood.

Brooks dropped the empty launcher and moved towards the rear of the column once again. The sergeant then ordered the group to move forward and thus they began to navigate the remains of the defensive position. Once they reached the craters, the tank stopped and the squad took cover in the craters. AS they hunkered down, Brooks decided to take a second and say a quick prayer for thanks and luck for the future of the operation. As soon as he finished, he heard more artillery rounds hitting their targets which caused him to give a slight grin in response. As if god himself decided to give the soldier more motivation, a trio of cobra gunships flew overhead as their cannons tore into any targets they could find. This was going to end well, Brooks could feel it.

 **XXX**

General Cole smirked at the awed reaction of the news anchor. He expected some confusion on how his troops operated, but he didn't expect this level of shock. It seemed that remnant really has forgotten a lot about warfare, not just tactics. He then recomposed himself and tried to get the reporter's attention. "Ma'am, are you still there?"

Ms. Lavender was shaken out of her daze and quickly recomposed herself. " Yes yes just… trying to comprehend what I just saw."

"Well that was just a strategy taken from a page of my country's history. It was during a world conflict where tanks finally had a major role in combat. It was rather crude, but it got the job done. I'm honestly surprised that your camera, drone, thing focused on only one squad instead of moving about the task force. You missed a few Bradleys and sheridans show off their armaments."

"Well I'm sure we will see some of those during the war games at the end. By the way, could you explain what these war games are exactly? It sounds rather violent" the reporter questioned the general.

Cole simply smirked and began his explanation. "Well, the war games are a simulated conflict. We use these to help train our troops and keep them at their peak in terms of readiness for a conflict. I'm honestly surprised none of the kingdoms even bothered to implement anything like this."

"Well many believed that such displays of power would spread fear and possibly even war."

"But wouldn't it also show that your kingdom's military is competent and not sitting around wasting tax money?"

"Well…"

"But no matter. The demonstration is pretty much over except for a bit of fireworks."

The scene was then changed to an overhead view of the forest. Several of the US units could be seen moving off the hill towards a larger grouping of troops near the hill's base. It seemed like an organized retreat, which seemed odd to the remnant natives watching. Why would they retreat after they won a battle? Their answer flashed on screen and flew past the camera, throwing it a couple hundred feet away from the hill. Once the camera refocused, the hill was stripped from the trees it once has. All that could be seen was a massive cloud of dirt. Then the objects that caused the destruction came back into view. These planes had a skinny body with its wings being somewhat rounded. It also had two circular engines that rested near the end of the plane. The tail wings were more angular and the ends were tilted upwards at a 90 degree angle. On the underside of the wings, a dozen cylinder like objects were attached.

Once the planes were in view, they let loose several of their missiles and revealed a weapon that was not easily seen from so far away. THe nose of the planes let out several puffs of what appeared to be smoke. Several seconds later a brrrt was heard as the planes flew off for another run. This continued several times until the top of the hill was nothing more than a barren wasteland. The US foot soldiers and vehicles were then seen moving back up the hill to secure the hill and locate the bunker of the HVI. Just as planned, this was the only structure remaining and it was swiftly taken with no casualties. Once the object was seized, the screen then changed to casualty statistics. The attackers suffered only a few dozen casualties while the defenders lost all of their troops.

Lisa Lavender turned back to the general with widened eyes and said "Well that was quite the show. I am surprised on how little casualties your men suffered."

The General turned towards the reporter and grinned. "Well that all come from firsthand experience and centuries of perfecting our strategies and tactics."

"I see" responded the reporter "and what exactly were those planes that we saw near the end? And just what exactly were they using as armaments?"

"Those were A-20 Thunderbolts. They are the next generation of the US' heavy close air support. They carry maverick missiles and a GUA cannon on the nose. This cannon fires 50mm rounds and at around 800 rounds a minute. These armaments can liquefy any hostile force. Hell, this can take out a goddamn ship, and has the accuracy of a seasoned sniper. This is the perfect killing machine. It will be your best friend or your worst nightmare. It all depends on if you are friends or foes."

The reporter visibly swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. "Well that is good to hear" she said with a wavering voice. "I guess that's all for now folks. Tune in at six for the nightly news were we will be covering all things related to the Vytal festival. If you want to learn more about the US, please go to channel 1783-1792. This is Lisa Lavender signing off."

 **XXX**

Team RWBY sat there with varying degrees of shock and amazement. Never have they seen an army operate like the US, and never have they seen a battle quite like what they just saw. They were used to fighting grimm with the occasional white fang incident, but this was something else entirely.

"Wow. So… that was a thing" Yang said, breaking the silence in their dorm. Weiss and Blake nodded in agreement, but the team leader was frozen solid, eyes wide as she viewed the carnage in front of her. Yang walked towards her sister and shook her lightly while saying "You still with us Rubes?"

Ruby slowly looked up at her sister with a childlike excitement in her eyes. It was almost like a small child telling Santa what they want for Christmas. She began to shake with excitement and Yang was slowly backing up. Weiss raised and eyebrow and scoffed at her partners shenanigans while Blake was just confused at what was going on.

Ruby then jumped off her bed and starting laughing maniacally. She then turned to her teammates and yelled "I know what I want for my birthday!"

The remaining three girls simply face palmed at their leaders shenanigans. Weiss walked out of the room complaining about a headache and hyperactive children while Blake followed with a book in hand. Yang was then left alone with her hyperactive sister, trying to piece together an explanation as to why she couldn't get the weapons she just saw. The brawler then sighed and walked towards the little reaper who was bouncing from bed to bed listing off all the weapons she saw. She could only imagine how others reacted to the show the US gave.

 **XXX**

After half an hour, the US military demonstration was finished and all who watched it were shocked at what they saw. If any skeptics were still around about the US, they were swept away. Many felt relieved that this new nation could provide in the fight against the grimm, but others felt true fear after seeing the display of coordinated firepower. Of course, this created a problem for a certain false maiden and her group of 'revolutionaries'. Currently, the lead figures were in a sort of conference room in the warehouse district of Vale going over what just transpired.

"This is a problem Cinder" said Adam. "You clearly underestimated the Americans and now they threaten our plans to the point that it should be called off."

Cinder turned towards the faunus extremist, eyes glowing in anger and spoke in a deep voice filled with authority. "Adam, we all underestimated them, and as much as I hate to admit it, you are right, but my mistress will not allow us to back down. If anything we need to increase the number of our forces and tread even more carefully. They are already wiping us out of menagerie and choking our supply lines. Hopefully we c-"l

Cinder was interrupted with the sound of gunfire erupting from behind the door that lead to their little meeting. Adam, Mercury, and Emerald all got into their perspective battle stances while Cinder simply clenched her fists trying to control her anger. After several seconds the gunfire ceased. Everyone in the room relaxed slightly until the door was kicked off its hinges. A half a dozen men wearing uniforms similar to the soldiers they saw in the demonstration stormed into the room. They had jet black clothing instead of the regular camouflage and had a second symbol underneath the US flag. The symbol was of a bird of some kind holding an anchor, trident and some kind of firearm. Each held heavily modified MA rifles and they were spread out evenly to each member of the room. Unfortunately, they didn't get far. Just as they entered the room, they group was engulfed in a massive fireball that turned them all into ash instantly. All eyes turned to Cinder who had her hand outstretched towards the door.

"Now I believe we should continue this conversation at a later date, and our operation at beacon is most likely compromised" the false maiden managed to say despite her anger threatening to take over. The remaining three individuals nodded quickly and sprinted towards designated safe houses. Unknown to the pawns in the queen's schemes, this would the first of many setbacks that they would experience.

* * *

 **AN: Here you guys are, the next chapter! Next chapter expect anti terrorism ops, Atlas and the US butting heads, and the body count continuing to rise! Remember, all criticism is welcome so please leave a review on what you think about the story. Until next time.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The US Navy was used to the idea that they ruled the waves, that nothing could defeat their dominance. Even back on earth, no navy could compete with their dominance. China was by far the closest, but they still lacked the key principles when it came to being an effective navy. With better training, equipment, and years of experience, the US Navy was second to none when it came to combating other human targets;however, this was not the case on Remnant. They may be able to go toe to toe with the airships of the kingdoms, and even have a wider variety of armaments, but the Grimm were an entirely other story. The threat was so high that the naval patrols and supply convoys were almost non-existent. Only two routes, one to Vale and another to Menagerie, remained open. The logical solution would be to use the newly commissioned dry navy to run these routes and decommission the wet navy, but there simply weren't enough ships to replace the wet navy, nor was it tactically viable. Because of this, the navy was working on a solution in order for the aquatic grimm to cause less damage to the US' security. Many of the navy's greatest minds came up with dozens of ideas, but only one made it to the trial phase. THis is where Captain Lee was currently stationed.

With his cruiser and two missile frigates, he maintained a triangle formation around the small scientific vessel preparing a new weapon that should help with the security of the supply routes. It was supposedly a type of torpedo that would be deployed and target key nests of aquatic grimm along the routes, and it was to be deployed on every warship in the US arsenal. The theory was that if the nests by the routes were constantly destroyed, then the grimm would naturally find a place farther away to nest. It sounded solid to Lee, but he all he cared about was the safety of the men under his command. He already had to scare away some of the smaller grimm that swam the oceans, so it was only a matter of time before the kings of the sea are drawn over here.

Leee felt someone tapping his right shoulder and thus turned slightly to see who it was. Over his shoulder he could see his XO with a paper in hand. He nodded a greeting and grabbed the paper out of his XO's hand. As he read, the XO walked in front of the captain and cleared their throat. As Lee looked up, he could now see his XO in full view.

Standing at five feet ten inches was a woman in the typical naval officer uniform. Blue digital camouflage and black combat boots with a blue service cap and a 2nd lieutenant rank insignia on her shoulders. She had brown skin, black hair tied to a bun, and brown eyes. She had a swimmers physique and would've seemed rather imposing to the average person.

Captain Lee smirked at the sight of her and tilted his head to the left. "I'm guessing you read this already, didn't you Lieutenant Matterson?'

"Yes sir."

"Well then, care to tell me the highlights?"

"Yes sir" Matterson replied. She then took a more relaxed position and began to explain what was on the paper. "The science team has issued a notice saying that the prototype is primed and are awaiting the go ahead to test it. They also wish to explain that a shock wave will be created and it may reach our ships. We are to also watch for any aquatic grimm of B-class or lower and exterminate them if they get near us. If an S-rank is identified then we are to abort mission and begin a retreat back to the nearest port."

Lee then nodded and turned towards his communications officer. "Bradley, contact the science team and tell them that they have the green light to launch project poseidon."

The warrant officer manning the post made a quick affirmative and then began to carry out his orders. As the message was being sent, Captain Lee decided to review what he was told about the project.

Project Poseidon was started a couple days after the US encountered aquatic grimm and learned of their nesting habits. When the CIA dug through the grimm database of the several combat schools of remnant, they learned that they only way to successfully clear an area of these creatures was to destroy the nest. Land and air based grimm were easy enough. Just have some B-25s carpet bomb an area or have an AC-130b pulverize key areas, and the area was clear of grimm. Aquatic grimm were almost entirely safe from the US as they never had to deal with underwater strong points before. Their anti submarine weapons worked well enough for A-class and lower, but they usually came in massive numbers and their CICs were usually overwhelmed with the number of targets. Thus it was decided that in order to clear shipping lanes, the nests had to be exterminated. Project Poseidon was the first and only solution that has come up so far, and boy did command love it. It was a smart torpedo that could use GPS to guide itself to a predetermined point anywhere within one hundred miles of its launch point. It carried a low yield nuclear device that was designed to explode and create a vacuum that would suck in all the grimm in the area and crush them in the change in pressure. The shock wave and radiation would also finish off the rest. It would also collapse the cave that the grimm usually hide in. With their den destroyed, they will be forced to move to another area. This would also decrease the number of grimm in the immediate area. If this worked, then the US would be able to regain tactical dominance of the ocean, and their ability to re- extend their reach to the entire globe. It would also give them more influence that could give the US more political power. In other words, the US' global role depends on the success of this test.

As soon as the communications officer finished relaying the affirmative to the science crew, the intercom sprung to life with a female voice with a german accent. "Attention, ve vill not begin ze test. Be prepared for a shock vave."

Matterson looked towards Lee and said "The eggheads couldn't have found anyone else to head this? This has to be the script of every mad scientist movie of all time."

Lee chuckled and stood up from his chair. "You aren't wrong. I guess our lovely R&D department does have a sense of humor."

"Launching sequence initiated" said the intercom, this time the german woman was not heard. "Firing in three...two...one… torpedo away. Brace for after shock in t-minus thirty seconds."

Lee buckled his captain's chair while every other crew member grabbed onto a railing or held onto their consoles. The intercom spang to life again stating "Impact in t-minus ten seconds." Every sailor grabbed onto whatever they were currently holding. The intercom blared to life one final time. "5...4...3...2...1….. Impact confirmed. Target destroyed. Shockwave less than predicted, you can all let go of whatever you all thought could save you."

Everyone visibly relaxed, releasing whatever their hands had in their death grips. Many consoles, railings, and chair had permanent marks or dents marking their surface. Lee made a mental note to request some replacement parts for certain areas of his ship. He scowled when he saw the nature of his crew. Many had the color drained from their faces while others were still recovering from their mental preparation. He made another note to chew out the science team for miscalculating. This was a massive false alarm and caused a lot of emotional strain of his crew. Some probably wouldn't be able to function for the rest of the day. He leaned back in his chair while unbuckling it the belt that was to secure him if the shockwave hit. As far as he could tell, the test was successful and he and his crew could head home very soon. Hopefully nothing insane was to happen.

 **XXX**

At the US military base in the emerald forest, General Cole was walking towards a C-130 that was to take himself and a handful of soldiers back to Washington DC. Normally a more luxurious plane would be there to pick up him up, but the general was perfectly fine with being in the C-130. It reminded him of his earlier days as a lieutenant in the army. Sometimes he wished he could demote himself and be back in the field, but he couldn't. That would cause the chain of command to fall apart, and he couldn't let his own desires rise above the well being of the men under his command. The other two in his entourage where his two guards that have been with him since he was promoted to colonel, and his assistant. The guards were in full combat gear, but normally they would only have their BDUs and their sidearms. His assistant was fresh out of bootcamp and was sent to the pentagon after completing basic. Cole knew how boring that job can be, but it would almost guarantee his survival. One less parent to lose their child in combat.

Once he reached the door of the plane, he felt his phone vibrate in his left breast pocket of his jacket. He sighed and pulled the phone out to see if it was worth answering. Once he saw the caller ID he was very tempted to let it go to voicemail and continue to the plane and fly home. He wanted to be back stateside so he could see his family and watch a cubs game. It was to be the fifth time they've made it to the world series, so it was extremely tempting. Add to the fact that he hasn't seen his family in years, it wasn't an easy choice. However, he chose his job as the lives of millions outweighed his own personal desires once again. He gave the signal for his followers to wait and gave a quick apology to the crew chief that met them by the door. Letting out a ragged breath, he put the phone up to his right ear and accepted the call.

"General Ironwood. To what do I owe the… pleasure?"

"I'm not here to chat General" Ironwood replied. "Ozpin and I wish to speak to you at Beacon Tower immediately."

"General Ironwood, as much as I would love to stay and indulge you and the professor, I am required to head back to my own country. Until you give me a good reason as to why I should stay then I must return to my timetable."

The Atlesian general growled and said "It's about the files you gave me during the parade."

"Oh yes those, well you could've just said that in the beginning. Expect me there in less than five minutes." With that, the call was disconnected and Cole turned to those present. "Well gentlemen" he said "it appears that I still have business here in Vale. Corporal, Sergeant, you will accompany me to Beacon Tower. Lieutenant, please call the pentagon and explain that I will not be able to make it on time. And crew chief, sorry to cause a rift in the schedule." Four acknowledgements sounded and the American general walked towards a JLTV with his two bodyguards close behind. He sighed and massaged his temples, already preparing for the headache he is about to receive.

 _Four minutes later…_

"My god how could these elevators be so slow?" the sergeant to Cole's left complained. They managed to arrive at Beacon in only three minutes, but this elevator was their biggest obstacle. Cole had no idea how they managed to make one so insufferably slow, but he will personally shoot whoever did design this. Seriously this was getting ridiculous.

The corporal to his right scoffed and crossed his arms. "Maybe the old man is just messing with us? Or maybe they are having a super secret meeting with a secret society?"

The general looked to his right and gave a deadpan expression. "Really Anderson?"

"Sorry sir" the not identified Anderson replied while the sergeant chuckled. Normally this would've been frowned upon by any other officer, but Cole preferred his men acted like human beings instead of mindless automatons that obeyed every order. This caused many of those under him to be less formal around him and they also challenged his ideas very often. He enjoyed this as it gave his men more say in how their lives where used. It also allowed a more personal connection between the troops and also prevented the officers from using their men as cannon fodder. It was still far from a democracy and you had to follow orders, but every soldier could ask the most important question:why?

After what seemed like an hour, the elevator finally stopped. A chime sounded and the doors opened. What all three Americans saw simply left them in shock. The office space was expansive, easily as twice as large as the oval office, but the size wasn't the thing that left the yanks slack jawed. The walls, floor, and ceiling contained dozens of turning cogs and the floor was also glass. The office was complete with a massive window overlooking the city, and a rather small desk where the old headmaster sat. Among the older looking man, three other individuals where also present. One Cole immediately recognized as the Atlesian general, while the other two were a mystery. The first was a woman, who stood as tall, if not taller than himself. She had blonde hair, green eyes, and what appeared to be a modern take on a witch costume. Add the riding crop that was holstered at her side, this blonde woman appeared to be the definition of a dominatrix. The final unknown was also a man who seemed somewhat out of place. He had a somewhat formal wear, but the man look disheveled and reeked of alcohol. It almost reminded him of his dad, except his father didn't wear capes, or had a massive sword hidden under it. He motioned for his two guards to stay by the elevator and then walked towards the desk. Cole cleared his throat and said "So was is the elevator naturally slow as hell or where you four playing a prank on us?"

The drunken man chuckled and said "I like him. A lot more fun than Jimmy here." The said general and the blonde woman glared at their slurring compatriot. Ozpin simply smirked and stood up.

"No the elevator is that slow general" said the headmaster 'but I do believe there are other topic to be discussed is there not?"

Cole stopped five feet from the desk and raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked to Ironwood while saying "I was only aware of one topic. I didn't realize that you four wanted to talk about more than just the files." Cole then looked at the headmaster and said "If it has to do with the current security measures, then you could've talked to either of the colonels that are back at base."

Ozpin shook his head and gestured towards the monitor that was pointed towards the american general. "No it isn't about that. It has to do with the files and your military. More specifically, your weapons."

"Yes about your armaments" Ironwood said. He stepped in between Cole and the headmaster and gestured to the screen. An image of a sheridan tank appeared with several american soldiers moving along with it. "We were hoping that you could possibly share some blueprints so then we-"

"No" Cole said, cutting off his Atlesian counterpart.

"No! What do you mean no!"

"James, I know how well your security is at guarding your own assets. The last thing I want is for the White Fang to steal some tanks I loned to you and turn them against my own troops. Furthermore, why would I do that? You are honestly in no position to request such a thing. Add to the fact that we were at war not even a month ago, it seems like you are trying to match up against my own nation's military." Cole took a deep breath and turned to address everyone present in the room. "The security of the United States of America is my top priority, the same can be said for every other service member in the US armed forces. I only have two divisions here because of the Fang's presence in this kingdom. Personally, I would much rather send troops to a kingdom that actually needs our help, like Menagerie."

"And that brings us to our next subject" The Atlesian said. "You realize that Menagerie is under the protection of Atlas. You're troops have no right to be there."

"No right General? And what about your army? From what i have heard from both the natives and several marines is that your military is waging war against the populace" Cole replied. His voice was soaked in venom and his two bodyguards by the door shifted nervously. "The US is there for humanitarian purposes and to aid the local government in rebuilding itself and maintaining order. We will continue to do these things no matter what a schoolyard bully like yourself has to say. I will also not stand idly by while the faunus experience what is akin to genocide in most parts of this world. I'm sick of it, my government is sick of it, and my country's people are disgusted by it. I am done talking about his, but heed this warning. If you try to send troops to menagerie, then my government will assume it is an act of war against our Ally."

"How dare you! My country knows what is best for this world! For decades Atlas has protected remnant and its people while reaching new heights in dust usage. The fa-"

"Give it a rest Jimmy" the drunk interrupted. "The American has a point and honestly, it's about time someone gave Atlas an ego check."

"Yes I will have to side with Qrow on this one" the blonde said with a swift nod of the head. THe now identified Qrow gave a sly smile to his blonde compatriot while she only scoffed and shook her head in annoyance. She then turned to Ozpin and said "Now I do believe that we should adjourn this meeting. I already have a headache and I don't want to have it grow anymore than it already has."

"Of course Glynda. James, please calm down and Cole please stop escalating this conflict." Both generals took a step away, sent one last glare towards each other, and then diverted their attention to the aging headmaster. "Now the reason why I wanted you hear was to discuss the files you sent us. It seems that we have a common enemy."

Cole further recomposed himself and subconsciously put himself into parade rest. He looked Ozpin dead in the eye and said "We do, but may I ask why none of you are putting pressure onto your opponent?"

"Well we don't want them to remain hidden" Ozpin replied. "We want to draw them out and take the head off the snake."

"That won't work." The old headmaster raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue. Ironwood crossed his arms and leaned on the desk eager to hear a new strategy. Glynda scowled at the blatant disrespect towards the headmaster while Qrow just pulled his flask out and downed its contents. The American sighed and motioned to the Atlesian. "I'm sure you tried to bring the fight to our enemy, but unless you have a solid intelligence division, you won't get anywhere. The White Fang operate much like some of the insurgent groups that my country spent over two decades trying to uproot from a dozen countries. It's exceptionally hard to take them out when they operate in cells, which the fang do, but all you have to do is either put them under so much pressure that they collapse or take away their reason to fight. The latter can be achieved easily by actually enforcing the faunus rights treaty while the former takes more time and can spiral out of control. Since you are allowing your opponent to show their hand before acting, you put at the disadvantage of becoming a reactionary force. This is the type of enemy insurgents excel at fighting, so you have to always be on the offensive."

"We would" Ironwood grumbled "but we don't have enough intel, that is until you gave us these files." The hidden cyborg then looked then said "How did you manage to come across this information?"

"Well the US is adept in cyber warfare. Seriously how the hell is your security so piss poor?" questioned Cole. "Seriously, I offered you advisors for this. Use them."

"I'll consider it" Ironwood responded.

"Now we can talk about the details later. I already pissed off my other colleagues by not leaving when I was supposed to so." Cole turned halfway to the door while his guards moved to attention once again.

"Yes that will be all" Ozpin replied. "We will call you once we have received word that you have landed."

With a nod, the American general walked to the open elevator doors with his two bodyguards following close behind. As the doors closed, Cole could hear another argument take hold, this time between the Atlesian and the drunkard named Qrow. He sighed and thought 'I would hate to be Ozpin today'.

 **XXX**

Ever since the United States and the Kingdom of Menagerie formed a formal alliance, the US has sent over billions of dollars in aid. This ranged from military personnel all the way to simple food stuffs. The largest military force to be sent over was the 1st Marine Division under the command of Major General Daniel O'Donohue. This division numbered at around 22,000 of the best the marine corp has to offer. This division also has a long legacy stretching all the way back to the first world war. Known as the 'Old Breed' these marines are merciless in combat, but have a soft side towards civilians especially children. The division commander actually volunteered to help with the various operations that are being executed in the fledgling kingdom. From simple police work all the way to convoy escort, there was always something to do. So far, no White Fang interference has been reported and the US troops in Menagerie have taken out two dozen White Fang outposts in the kingdom, ranging from intelligence posts to recruitment camps. It was all going smoothly, until one Marine platoon was ordered to bring food to a dormant settlement.

 **XXX**

Through the countryside of Menagerie, a convoy was making their way to an isolated village in the mountainous area of the kingdom. It consisted of six MTRVs with four marines in each, and four JLTVs with four marines in each vehicle. The JLTVs were spread out so two were on each end of the convoy. Each JLTV had a .50 caliber machine gun on the turret with a thousand spare rounds in each vehicle. Every marine was fitted as a rifleman since command didn't think they needed anything more heavy. Intel said that White Fang were not in the area, but these marines were still prepared for an ambush. The most notable evidence of this was the four turrets scanning the treeline of the ridges above them. Each gunner sweeping their sectors and keeping an eye out for any sign of the enemy. One such gunner was Lance Corporal James Miller.

Having grown up in a military family, he was expected to join the military for at least one tour. James was first against the idea but eventually caved and joined the marines. After his first tour, he realized how much he actually enjoyed it and decided to make a career out of it. He was currently on his third tour and he hasn't seen his family in six years. It tore him up, but he knew he was making them proud. He was also determined to come back alive, which caused him to become one of the most professional soldiers anyone has ever seen… at least on the field. If he was back on base, he was constantly getting in trouble. Whether it was goofing off with his squad or avoiding any work possible, he had caused many migraines for his superiors. The only reason why he wasn't kicked was due to his effectiveness on the field. It was almost as if his brain had a switch that caused his personality to make a complete one eighty.

This professionalism was currently showing as he moved his machine gun to scan a ridge that was to his vehicle's right. His JLTV was the second in the convoy, thus he wasn't given the task of searching for any IEDs or any other obstacles. All he had to do was scan the ridges and report anything suspicious, or just shoot it. Miller knew the rules of engagement and the escalation of force, but fighting against the islamic terrorists showed him that it is sometimes better to go with your gut and act first. This philosophy had saved not only his life, but the lives of his squad mates on dozens of occasions. He didn't mind having to fill out an NJP(basically the military's ticket) so it was a win win in his mind.

Currently, this philosophy was being tested as he saw what looked like a reflection near the top of the the mountain he was looking at. It didn't seem like a sniper's scope reflecting off the sun, but his gut was telling him that this would become a problem. He tapped the side of his helmet and activated his helmet radio. "Hey Lt" he spoke into the microphone on his built in headpiece "There's something reflecting the sun to our right. Bearing is approximately…" He checked the compass he had on his turret and noted the number the arrow was pointing at. "It is about 140 south east, about halfway up the mountain."

Miller's earpiece beeped and the voice of the platoon lieutenant was heard. "Alright Miller, keep an eye on it. Can't so a whole lot right now, but at least we know someone is probably watching us." His radio then died and beeped back to life again as the officer sent a message to the whole platoon. "Alright marines, we got some eyes watching us so expect an ambush soon. Hopefully nothing happens but be prepared nonetheless."

A chorus of acknowledgments were heard and the atmosphere seemed to thicken with anxiety. The turrets were moving twice as fast and the marines in the back of the MTRVs began scanning as well. James assumed that his platoon LT called command, as per protocol, in case they got ambushed later. This would allow command enough time to assemble reinforcements and fire support in case they are attacked, or they got wiped out. The preferable option was the former, but the ladder was all too real. The lance corporal shivered at the thought of not only his comrades dying, but he himself. Banishing those thoughts to the back of his head, he continued scanning.

Over an hour passed by and shots were fired. Several other marines reported more reflections, but no one attacked them. Once they drove out of the mountain pass and into the forest, everyone seemed to relax a bit. They were no longer at a disadvantage if they were attacked, which increased their morale considerably.

Unexpectedly, the lead JLTV exploded in a massive fireball at the same time as the rear vehicle. Miller recognized some smoke trails and noticed that they seemed to originate from his right. Several others saw this as well. The remaining vehicles then stopped while the marines inside began to dismount on the left side of their vehicles. Just as the first door opened, a hail of small arms fire peppered the side of the vehicles. Those inside the cabins of their vehicles were fine, but the marines in the unarmoured beds of the MTRVs were torn apart. The few that did survive situated themselves under their vehicles and began firing at the muzzle flashes.

Miller turned to the left side of the convoy and allowed his fifty caliber machine gun deliver its packages to the unknown hostiles. Tracer rounds flew down range and the foliage was torn apart. Miller could hear several faint screams over the successive firing of the machine gun. The last remaining gunner joined miller and tore up the left side of the forest. Their combined fire allowed The remaining marines to get out of their vehicles and take up a 360 security of the convoy. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard his radio come to life and heard his lieutenant once again.

"Alright everyone, set up 360 security. Something is jamming comms so we can't talk to command. Miller you cover the right side, Jackson cover the left. If anyone has any grenades, give them to Gunny."

After his lieutenant gave out his orders, the remaining marines went about executing them. The remaining 23 marines set up a circle around the surviving vehicles. The gunnery sergeant was moving down the line taking inventory, gathering grenades, and making sure everyone was ok. Miller saw his LT and sergeant major conversing with each other in the MTRV behind his vehicle. James also took this time to reload his machine gun. Once he inspected the ammo box, he saw only four rounds left. He then went through the motions of reloading the massive turret gun. Surprisingly it only took him around twenty seconds to fully reload his machine gun. And once he was done he continued to survey his sector.

Almost immediately after he started scanning, he heard several shouts in the distance. He wasn't the only one as almost every marine's head snapped to his sector. With each passing second, the shouting grew louder, and louder, and louder. Miller felt some sweat form on his forehead and his left foot started shaking. His breathing began to escalate and he heard a lot of chatter from his comrades.

"You all hear that?"

"Of course we hear it dumbass!"

"Anyone got some gum?"

"Just like the fucking zulus…"

"Cocky bastards"

"Gunny pass out some grenades to the men."

"If anyone has claymores, set them up!"

"Get ready for hand to hand! Fix your bayonets!"

Miller double checked his gun and re cocked the lever. He also took the pistol out of his holster and placed it on the ridge of the turret. Miller also took out his MA rifle and laid it on the ridge as well. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders in an effort to calm himself. As the shouting continued to intensify, every muscle in his body seemed to tighten, and no matter how hard he tried to slow the beating of his heart it continued to increase its rhythm. Soon, his whole body was shaking as his instincts screamed at him to run away and hide, telling him that he would not survive if he stayed; however, he banished those fears to the back of his mind and stood alongside his brothers in arms. They will defy this force, and they will fight to the last man.

A deep, ragged breath was released as Miller spotted his new targets. Dozens upon dozens of figures burst through the shrubbery all around the convoy wielding anything from a sword to an assault rifle. Many fired upon the marines with poor accuracy. Many of their rounds hit the area by the Us soldiers, but they never hit their mark. Almost all of them were giving off a primal scream in order to scare the defenders, but this only gave the battle hardened marines more motive to gun them down. The insurgents' uniforms made them stick out like a sore thumb compared to the greens and browns of the forest, which made it even easier for the US marines to pick their targets.

With a hail of bullets, the first several lines of White Fang attacker met a brutal end. Their aura was not able to protect them from the gunpowder based projectiles and this caused several to panick. The carnage from the fifties didn't help the insurgents' morale and several were torn apart by the monstrous rounds. Several faunus extremists continued their push forward, completely unaware of the fact that they are missing a limb. Some even had holes in their stomachs, and eventually blacked out due to shock. Despite the horrors inflicted upon the Fang members, it seemed there was no end to the tide.

After one of them would fall, two more would take their comrade's place. THe horde was quickly gaining ground, and many were close enough to see the fear in the defenders' eyes. A pile of bodies was forming, filled with the dead and dying, but the insurgents ran over their fallen comrades and continued their charge towards the defenders. The marines' fire became more sporadic while their reload time took twice as long. Many resorted to throwing any grenades they had into the horde, throwing bodies high into the air. Others simply gave up on fring and prepared themselves for hand to hand combat. Miller ditched the fifty and grabbed his pistol and rifle as he positioned himself on top of his JLTV's roof. As he began firing into the horde he overhead more chatter from his fellow marines.

"Get ready boys!"

"Remember your training and take out as many of these bastards as possible! MAke them pay and sow them not to fuck with the United States Marine Corps!"

"OORAH!"

Miller found himself joining in with the final chant as the White Fang finally closed into melee range. In a final act of defiance, the marines gave out a primal battle cry as they charged their enemies, bayonets fixed on their rifles and giving no mercy. Several insurgents had their stomachs impaled while others were gunned down as the marines carved their way into the horde. While these few seconds may have made it seem that the US soldiers may pull off a heroic victory, all of those dreams ended as they were swamped by the enemy that outnumbered them immensely. Several suffered from close range firearm wounds while many others were impaled by several swords at once. Soon, only Miller and two others were left. All three of them standing in a triangle, fighting back to back for their very survival. Their courage rivaled the spartans of ancient greece, but courage alone does not win battles.

A loud whistle tore through the sounds of battle, and everyone stopped their fighting instantly. The mob of insurgents soon formed a circle rather far away from the three remaining marines. Soon after the circle was created, it was broken as a lone figure moved through the crowd. What came out of the sea of grimm masks was a sight to behold.

One of the figures was a male with horns on the top of his head. He had Black hair with red streaks and wore a grimm mask like the others. That was the only similarity this man had with the mob as his outfit was completely different. He wore black pants, shirt, and jacket with several red designs that sprawled all over his clothing. He also had a Katana sheathed at his hip, with his right hand resting on the grip.

The second figure was a woman, and her appearance screamed deadly beauty. She had black hair that flowed down past her shoulders and glowing yellow eyes that seemed to burn with an unnatural hatred. She wore a red dress with what seemed like a cluster of leaves on her right side. The dress also had yellow designs moving up her arm and towards her shoulders. The woman also carried a black bow and neither an arrow or a holster for the extra arrows was on her. Despite her lack of ammunition, the aura she gave off seemed to make her appear less than human. All three marines focused their attention on her, as their instincts told them that she was the biggest threat.

The imposing woman walked up to the marines and spoke in a soft, but intimidating voice. "Well it seems that I've caught some more Americans." An arrow then materialized out of thin air. The woman then placed it in the bow while pulling the arrow and the string back. She then took aim at Miller and gave off a devilish smirk. "Maybe you three will put up more of a fight than the previous ones?" The arrow was then released and a one sided fight broke out.

 **AN: Here you all have it, the newest chapter in The Day Remnant Stood Still! Now I do have some news regarding the future of this story. First off, I will be releasing in mostly shorter intervals with chapters that have around 4k words. This helps to fit in with my schedule involving school and college applications. Secondly, the story will be in an AU for the rwbyverse since a super power from earth entering remnant would seriously screw with the balance of power on remnant. Finally, there will most likely be no pairings at all. I just don't feel comfortable writing them as I will most likely ruin any characters I try to pair and what not. Plus pairings seem to be a pretty touchy subject in the fandom. Also if you are interested in becoming a beta reader, send me a pm and we can work out the logistics of the whole ordeal.**

 **Well that's all I wanted to say for now. Until next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I know I released this a little bit ago, but i wanted to add some more stuff to it as I managed to get a good flow going... plus I figured you guys would like some additional content. Now in the beginning, it will say Salesians somewhere (as pointed out by TopHatGuy) and for the life of me I couldn't find it. If you guys see it, it was meant to say Atlesian but autocorrect screwed me over. Now with my ramblings out of the way, enjoy the story.**

Chapter 11

"My fellow Americans, it pains me to say that I come bearing terrible news" said the American president on every TV screen and radio in the United States. "Several hours ago, a multitude of events have occurred with the objective to undermine our great nation. The greatest enemy we face currently is the horribly misguided White Fang. This originally peaceful group has been warped and manipulated into the cancerous tumor it is now. This tumour has metastasized and spread all throughout remnant causing chaos and disorder wherever they go. Now we have faced organizations like this before throughout our history. We have the necessary experience and materials to beat these terrorists back and redirect to a more noble path. Now they aren't the only threats to the planet of Remnant, the biggest threats would have to be Atlas and the Schnee Dust Company. For decades these two empires of evil have oppressed the faunus population and any rivals they may have had. In the public eye, they claim to be the paragons of peace, prosperity, and progress that guides this world into a better tomorrow. They claim to be this world's only true protectors, but that couldn't be far from the truth. These heartless devils have caused pain and suffering for decades in order to advance their own agendas." President Woods takes a deep breath before continuing his speech. "These are the biggest tumors, the biggest threats, the biggest obstacles this world has to absolute peace and prosperity. This current peace is an absolute sham and the prosperity is limited to only a select few. My fellow Americans, congressman, and all those who serve our wonderful nation, we must pursue all these infectious tumors and destroy them completely. By far the most pressing has to be the White Fang, but make no mistake. Atlas and the SDC will get what is coming to them. With that said, I urge Congress to pass a declaration of war on the White Fang, and to allow our military and intelligence agencies the freedom to operate in a way for them to seek out destroy this threat. Once this threat is eliminated, then we can focus on bringing the faunus back into the light and combating this discrimination that they face every day." With his speech finished, the screens and radios switch to the programs that were playing before the interruption. Normally the public would've voiced some kind of concern or outrage about the interruption to their programs, but this is one of the few times where they weren't.

Every human and faunus who heard this speech were left feeling a variety of emotions. For the Americans, a fire started to burn within them. An almost patriotic zeal took them over as their nation's leader promised their nation would finally take centerstage in this world. MAny were eager to see this world stabilized in order for economic opportunities to arise. Others were eager to travel to the other kingdoms and explore this world, and that speech told them that it would be happening very soon. For the millions of faunus around the globe, a spark of either hope or doubt sparked within their chest. Many were thrilled that someone was coming to their aid, while others were skeptical of the Americans. Many of the skeptical ones were within the White Fang which caused that doubt to turn into anger. Why should they accept help from these humans. After all, they were betrayed once after the faunus rights revolution so why should they believe this? For the Salesians watching this, their reactions were as expected.

XXX

"You really kicked the hornet's nest haven't you Mister President?" Commandant Charles said through a massive screen that took up a large portion of a wall within the president's conference room. The screen was over eighty inches long with a height of about forty inches. There were five others on the screen currently. The rest of the Joint Chiefs: Cole, Rachel, and Oda, while Ambassador Ian was also on the screen. Within the room itself, President Woods sat rather comfortably in a chair in the very middle of the large, oval table. To his left sat his Vice President Emily and Michael Nordelangelo. To his right sat Harrison, the director of the CIA and the Director of the FBI Maddie Aquilina. This meeting was called immediately after the president's speech in order to discuss the topics that were brought up during it. Needless to say, most individuals in the conference strongly disagreed to the message the president conveyed.

"I agree" said Admiral Oda "We are in no shape to take on more than one opponent. Sure the White Fang will be handled in due time, we do not have the strength to take on Atlas and the rest of the kingdoms."

"Don't the shipping and patrol routes still need to be cleared of the grimm nests?" questioned the Vice president.

"Yes ma'am. Some rough estimates show that the routes will be clear within a few more weeks. Until then, our strategic capabilities are extremely diminished. The navy is already overburdened in not only supplying our efforts in Vale and Menagerie, but also guarding our borders and the few shipping routes we have operational."

"That may be the case for you Oda" Rachel interjected "but the Air Force has never seen clearer skies than this. The avian grimm are a joke and shouldn't pose too much of a threat to even the more slow moving planes. Hell a B-52 could outrun a nevermore for pete's sake." Her head then turned to towards the on screen Admiral and she smirked. "Besides, shouldn't those new fancy airships help you out as well?"

"Of course not" the Admiral replied with a heavy scoff. "Besides, the airships are rather slow and are only intended to guard key areas. It actually helps us protect the oil fields and resource mines in the southern section of Vale."

"Alright enough!" yelled Cole. "We have other matters to attend to, such as answering the unspoken questions: how do we plan to handle the fang and the grimm nests around the world. I think this goes without saying that this is a golden opportunity to show off several weapons we have. This can also help with Wood's current gunboat diplomacy strategy."

All eyes were now cast upon the president, waiting for him to respond. Woods let out a tired sigh and leaned further back into his chair. "How goes projects Odin, Thor, and Skywatcher?"

General Rachel cleared her throat and her back was ramrod straight. "They are completed sir. Odin and Thor have around five stations each ready to let loose with their ordnance. Overlord has around fifty satellites in a grid that gives us eyes everywhere. NASA and the Air Force really worked this out faster than I thought. Why do you ask sir?"

"Simple really" Woods responded with a grin "We use Odin to wipe out certain grimm nests and Thor for the remainder we deem necessary. Then Harrison here uses Skywatcher and finds out whatever he can. Whether it be dirt on the other kingdoms or intel on the Queen and her pawns."

The conference room was thrown into a deathly silence. Each face was thrown into a thrown into varying degrees of shock and confusion. The only one that seemed to be the least affected was Harrison, with only a raised eyebrow to even hint that he found something odd.

The first to break the silence was Micheal. "Sir are you saying that we should actually use them?"

"Of course we should" responded the president "We built them for a reason didn't we? The grimm are perfect tests for these weapons."

"Don't you realize that this can cause a Cold War?" asked Emily. "And are we really gonna use the tungsten rounds so close to population centers?"

"I agree with Emily" said Ambassador Ian. "Those rounds, if I was briefed correctly, could cause an extreme amount of damage. The Tsar bomb created by the soviets would appear as a peashooter. Not to mention the fact that Menagerie has settlements well within the radius if we were to use it on nests, the amount of civilian casualties would be insane. Not to mention the political backlash and uproar from not only the kingdoms, but our own citizens. It wo-"

"Which is why I included the use of Thor. Those missiles it uses are much more direct and the collateral would be almost non existent. Plus this would cause most of our enemies to surrender, or stay out of our way. Now, I do believe our first show of strength should be that failed expansion by Vale, Mountain Glenn was it?"

"Are you insane?" yelled Cole. "Vale would see that as an act of war, and perhaps even Atlas. Not to mention the fact that Glenn is close to several power substations that are vital to Vale." The General then took a deep breathe before continuing. "Now I can see using Thor on that, but Odin would require the targets to be at least in the badlands. Perhaps the nests in the Isle of the Damned?"

"Of course" agreed Oda "those nests are also by a few of our shipping routes. Though the after effects will definitely cause some trouble."

"You're all insane" spoke Michael. "Those weapons should never have been made in the first place, and using them is just an awful idea. Those effects could cripple not only our infrastructure, but that of the kingdoms." He then turned towards the president, locking his gaze upon his eyes. "And the Atlesians would use this as a perfect rallying call to war alongside with the threats you so adamantly used in your speech."

"You're all missing the point" the CIA director said. "The point of these weapons and using them is to send a clear and concise message. It is to show that we have the power and will to strike down our enemies and protect our allies. I think the Army General said the best description for what we are doing: Gunboat diplomacy."

"Thank you Harrison, you hit it right on the mark." The director nodded in response and the president then turned to his FBI counterpart. "Now Maddie, how goes your investigations?"

"The FBI has investigations going on? Has the Fang infiltrated us?" questioned the Commandant.

"No sir they haven't" Maddie replied "It's more a case of domestic and international terrorism."

This statement instantly garnered the attention of every person in the room. Even the usually stoic CIA director and calm Admiral had their faces twisted in rage and confusion. Finally, the Air Force chief spoke up, cutting through the silence like a knife. "Care to elaborate, or are we just gonna assume that half of our population are actually a bunch of mooks who need an AGM right into their house?"

"No no no. It is really much simpler." replied the FBI director. "The domestic side of the spectrum is a more radical version of the KKK, and much more influential as well. It started in Alabama and has now spread its influence into the neighboring states. So far, local authorities are proving to be inadequate. My agency suspects not only poor training, but also some turncoats in the police forces, and quite possibly the national guard. This group is extremely anti remnant and they are seeking a nuclear holocaust of sorts against everyone on this planet."

"Greaaat. Now we have two types of genocidal maniacs to deal with. What's next? Are we gonna have to deal with some kind of psycho hippies who worship weed? Or maybe a cult that thinks the grimm are gods or whatever?" questioned Michael.

"Sadly, those already exist, and yes your analogy is rather spot on. Thankfully, my people are already working on arresting key figures and breaking down their strongholds. The main problem has to be the fact that this group is setting up camps out in the wilderness of Remnant. They believe that it is their 'holy duty' to smite the grimm and faunus since they are the 'devil's creations'. Honestly most of this can be fixed by sending out information and what not. Only the die hard members will be an actual problem."

"Well if they're fighting the grimm, then why not let the crazies die?" questioned Rachel. "After all, it's better than our men and women in the armed forces getting killed or injured."

"Not the point the general." Woods sent a quick glare towards the Air Force General and then addressed every member in the room. "As the only democracy in this world, we are the only safe haven for these people to live unoppressed. We have enforced laws about racism and its inhumane purpose, but the other kingdoms do not. We also have an ally that is very weak right now and needs aid in recovery and defense. The United States has a moral obligation to remain standing and holding true to the principles we were founded upon. We will not sit back and allow terrorists and tyrants to destroy our homes and enslave our people. No, we will ensure that this world is purged of all its evils and destroy every threat to our own stability, and that of our allies'. Now, I expect you all to do your duties to the best of your abilities and to use every tool we can. Now does everyone understand?" After receiving several affirmatives from everyone in the room, President Woods leans back in his chair while crossing his arms. He lets out a tired sigh and says "This meeting is adjourned. Next time we meet, we will have accomplished several of our objectives." And with that, the members of the meeting set off towards their perspective duties.

XXX

"I have seen some fucked up shit before, but goddamn does this take the cake." mumbled a figure clad in camouflage who was observing his surroundings. The red dirt seemed to morph with the unknown man's clothing making him almost impossible to spot in the shattered moon's light. He was lying down next to some strange purple crystals that seemed to pulse an odd energy. So far, it didn't affect him, but he wanted to relocate as soon as possible. There's no telling what that energy could do. Though those crystals were the least of his concerns.

In the valley below him stood several grim of the beowulf configuration. Normally this wouldn't cause this man to bat an eye, but the way they appeared gave him an uncontrollable shiver from his spine. The man witnessed these beasts emerge from strange black pools of unknown liquid, and they just kept coming. After a few seconds, another set of claws would break from a pool's surface and another beowulf would climb out of it and join its brethren on a march towards an unknown destination. If these pools are not alone on this island, and this shows how quickly the grimm spawn, there's no telling what could happen.

The man then pressed a button on his headset and spoke into the small mic that was situated in front of his mouth. "Big Bird this is Watcher, I have a confirmation on the delta five theory on the Gyro spawning. Awaiting confirmation and orders." With that, 'watcher' let go of the button and rested his hand in front of his face on the ground. After several seconds, he got a response.

"This is Big Bird reading you loud and clear Watcher. Your exfil will be in the ao in around ten mikes, thus giving you enough time to attempt your newest objective. We want you to get a sample of the Gyro spawning liquid for RnD purposes. If it seems too dangerous then abort and head to the LZ; however, if you do get a sample then we may gain a better understanding of the Gyros. Ultimately it's up to you Watcher, Big Bird out." After that, the radio cut out and Watcher was left with a dilemma.

If he could grab even one small vial of that goo, then the possible intel that could be gained is invaluable. It could allow his home country to possibly create a solution to the grimm problem; however, the risks may outweigh the possible gains. Even if Watcher made it close to that pool, the massive horde of grimm would rip him to shreds. Not to mention the risk of a grimm emerging from the pool while he was collecting the sample and maul him to death. Watcher sighed as me stood and made his way to the extraction point. RnD would have to make due with video and several pictures for now. There was no way in hell that he could obtain a sample alone. Now if he had a team… well that would be an entirely different story.

Maybe the next op would involve a small cell of maybe three or four operatives. If that was the case, then the samples would be guaranteed. Watcher would probably have two draw the horde somewhere else while himself and the other remaining member would move to a pool and gather a sample. Then the group would converge on a predetermined point and get extracted by a chopper.

Shoving his daydreaming aside, Watcher navigated the crystal filled environment towards a ridge that was seemingly devoid of the purple crystals. Watcher already gathered several samples of the formations so he didn't spare them a second glance. As he passed the cluster of crystals, Watcher heard several growls emanate from behind him, causing him to bolt towards the plateau. He could hear the excited snarls and heavy foot falls of the grimm behind him. His legs were screaming in pain, but he continued forward since his life depended on it.

Once on the plateau, a pitch black helicopter appeared with its usual rotor noise muffled. It also had a very angular appearance and looked vaguely similar to the Army's UH-60 Blackhawk. Only difference was the more angular design and no side door guns. Inside the helicopter was one man who was dressed in a simple black BDU and an old M4 rifle pressed against his shoulder at the ready. The man motioned for Watcher to move into the helicopter which he happily complied. Watcher did not want to spend another second in this hellish place. He sprinted towards the helicopter and as soon as he got on, the door slid shut and they flew off towards their new destination, leaving the horde of grimm behind.

Unbeknownst to this group of CIA operatives, this was just one of dozens of different intelligence gathering missions that were either wrapping up or beginning. From Vacuo to Mistral, intelligence teams were set up or are being set up all across Remnant. A vast majority are within the CIA and are conducting several covert missions, while a small minority are being conducted by the Army. These operations are based in Vale, and it consisted of soldiers trying to gather information from the populace. Thankfully, military intelligence had compiled a list of potential HVIs who could have crucial information on not only the White Fang but possibly the Queen's plot as well. One such HVI was about to be questioned by Corporal Thomas Brooks and Private First Class James Garcia.

XXX

"Come on Brooks, we can get some food and then find the HVI. I mean seriously all I've been able to have are those damned MREs" Garcia complained to Brooks as they walked passed a concession stand in the Vale fairgrounds. The whole fair grounds was less than a football stadium in area but the amount of people crammed into this small space would give a cubs world series game a run for its money. Most of the people were the students from one of the four academies with the occasional security personnel. The US handled the internal security while Atlas handled the external security at the kingdom's borders. Everyone was shocked when this security plan was released, and some even thought that Atlas was forced into doing the external security. No one knows for sure, but many people would pay to see a recording of that shouting match between Ironwood and Murphy.

The US soldiers acting as security wore a very standard uniform. Urban BDUs with a patrol cap and combat boots. Their armaments consisted of a collapsible baton and their standard issue M9 Beretta sidearm with several spare magazines. The Beretta was situated in a drop leg holster on both Garcia's and Brooks' right legs. As per regulation, every security member has kevlar body armor underneath their BDUs. This was to protect them from both projectiles and any melee weapons found in this world. The projectiles were also pretty low in threat level compared to the melee weapons due to their subsonic nature. The US military is also not worried about their gunpowder based bullets bouncing off aura due to several factors. One was the fact that aura doesn't seem to react at all to the lead projectiles. Several theories have arisen to explain this. The leading theory has to due with the fact that gunpowder causes bullets to travel at supersonic speeds. This causes the aura to not react to this speed as it can't materialize fast enough to protect its owner. Due to this fact, the US commanders in Vale have advised extreme caution when using firearms and so the batons are the primary weapons when handling civil unrest. Thankfully, no situations have required the use of firearms, and so Brooks and Garcia were extremely calm and confident about their mission.

"No we aren't gonna stop and get food here. We have to get this done and report back in less than an hour. Plus I'd rather not have to deal with the COs bull shit today." Brooks responded to his partner. Garcia groaned in response and the two continued to walk forward.

After a few seconds Garcia asked "So who the hell are we questioning today? Is it another shifty shop owner that gets killed the next day or what?"

Brooks sighed and pulled out a picture with a fairly attractive young woman on it. She was very pale with black hair and yellow eyes that seemed to form slots like a cat. The picture also showed the woman wearing a black bow on top of her head. "File says her name is Blake Belladonna. Apparently she's ex Fang, pretty high up too, and then defected not too long ago. Now she plays student at Beacon."

After Brooks finished explaining Garcia spoke up again.

"So we basically got a mook who went rogue, and considering the fact that she was pretty high up…"

"Yeah it seems odd" responded Brooks. "I remember the hadjis didn't defect due to the fear tactics. Guess the Fang are lacking in that department huh?"

Both soldiers chuckled at the comment and continued forward. AS they continued to walk through the fair grounds, they spotted their HVI sitting at a noodle stand with several other teenagers. Due to the weapons on them, it was a safe bet to say that these were Beacon students. In total, there was around eight of them and the soldiers deemed it best to side with caution.

As they slowly approached, the group eventually turned their attention towards the two newcomers. Several simply raised their eyebrows in either confusion or suspicion while the others looked on with annoyance or hatred. Funny thing was that the largest amount of killing intent was coming from the snow white wannabe sitting next to their HVI. Brooks cleared his throat and showed the picture towards the group. He then said "Blake Belladonna? We would like to ask a few questions." Brooks saw the young woman freeze for a second, and he could've sworn that her bow bent downwards just a bit.

Blake's eyes narrowed as she subconsciously lowered herself closer to the table. She then said "Why." It was one word that held a lot of power in this situation.

"It's just some questions regarding global security, and the security of this festival. We aren't taking you to a precinct or anything like that." Garcia responded while holding his hands up to show that he meant no harm.

"That's correct ma'am." Brooks added. "We can ask the questions here if you wish, though if you do lie we will come back. And trust me" Brooks said while placing his hand on his holster while lowering the picture "We will know if you lie to us."

"Now wait a minute" the blonde bombshell said. "Blake has done nothing wrong and-"

"It's fine Yang." Blake interjected. She then turned towards the two soldiers and said "Ask away."

Brooks looked towards Garcia, who gave a nod, and then looked back to Blake while saying "Is it true you were part of the White Fang? And is it true you defected?"

Everyone seemed to react in varying degrees of shock and distress. Blake seemed to be frozen in fear while her compatriots seemed to subconsciously move back a bit, and a few even started to reach for their weapons. Seeing this, Garcia moved to grab his baton while Brooks prepared to unholster his firearm. There probably would've been an all out fight if Blake hadn't responded in time.

"Yes…. Yes I was but I'm not with them anymore." Blake said very quickly and quietly while looking at the floor. Her compatriots once again recoiled, but this time away from her and gave her different shocked glances. Garcia relaxed a bit and moved his hand away from his baton and Brooks moved his away from his firearm holster. Blake then looked towards the two americans and said "Why do you want to know?" Blake asked this question with an equal amount of curiosity and anger.

Brooks released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and pulled out a small business card. As he motioned it towards the ex-Fang member he said "We were hoping that you could divulge some information so then we can combat them more effectively. Hell maybe even set them on the right path again. When you feel like talking, just call this number and a soldier will escort you to an interview chamber." With that said, the two Americans turned around and walked away, leaving several confused and distressed Beacon students behind.

 **AN: And there you guys have it. I hope you all enjoyed the newest chapter. This story will be on the back burner for a bit so I can flesh out some ideas for my other story: The Dropout Commander. It's based around our clumsy knight and its one of those expelled stories. I know it isn't completely original, but it's an idea i have and I wanted to try it out and see how it does. Don't worry, this will still update, but on a slower interval.**

 **Remember, leave any criticism, thoughts, or comments you have in the review section and I will see you all later.**


	12. Progress Update

**Good Evening,**

 **I regret to inform you all that the newest update for TDRSS will have to be delayed. Now for my explanation.**

 **First, Real Life has decided to be a complete asshole and throw a bunch of shit my way. From ROTC, ACT, and other college related stuff having deadlines in a couple of weeks I have to prioritize those first. I have also been sick with Bronchitis so my productivity over the week has been fairly low. Lastly, the current quality of the chapter leaves much to be desired and I hate half assed content. That's probably why I don't like COD but whatever.**

 **The updates for both TDRSS and The Dropout Commander (my second story) will be up either Christmas eve or christmas day. This gives me plenty of time to work out any kinks in the updates and allow me to wrap up my college stuff. Once again I do apologize for the delay, but I promise I will make it up to you all.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Smurphy1999**


	13. Author's notice

This is an official notice stating that TDRSS will be discontinued for now. I plan on rewriting the story as whole due to the many plot issues, factual errors, and many other problems. I am in the process of revising it, and more countries other than the US will be involved in the story. I am still planning out the plot (something I should have done for the first one), but hopefully, I can have the first chapter of the rewrite up soon. My main issues involve the tone of the story and new information room RWBY. The new data is straight forward, but the tone is kinda of like an "America fuck yeah" story. Now don't get me wrong, I love my country, and I am a patriot, but this isn't realistic. Hopefully, I can fix this story and create the quality you guys deserve. With that said, this si Smurphy1999 signing off.


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